


Runaway

by Ink_Child



Category: Naruto
Genre: Adulthood, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Angst, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-21 17:14:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 50,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9559178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ink_Child/pseuds/Ink_Child
Summary: Stunned by the death of her beloved Hinata faces the world with her children's hands in hers and the pressing tidal wave of depression at her heels. Determined to start again she makes a decision to leave all she knows behind. New country, new job, new home, new start.Except for fate has other plans. Who does she find in this new landscape but the lost brother of the very boy who won her heart, the cold and broken Sasuke Uchiha.





	1. Chapter 1

_With the air gone she couldn't think how she would breathe, how could she possibly keep on going with the pain in her lungs taking over the way her body moved. Each muscle was screaming, each vein bursting to flame, acid ripping apart her insides, pain spreading on the atoms that made up her skin._

_The news had come with no fanfare. There were no cop cars with flashing lights in the driveway. It had been a call. The call had not been frantic there had been no screaming, no crying._

_The words had been soft and quiet. She thought later, that he must have been in shock when he said it. But in the moment there was only the stillness of the words released into the air tainting it, making its very essence a poison._

_The next breath was that of pain and death. She gasped on it, coughed, felt what seemed to be blood in her mouth, felt herself lowering down to the floor, feeling the hardness of the ground beneath her bare knees._

_Outside of her room the window glistened with stars and rain. That was the one melodramatic part of the entire moment. The rain was pouring buckets. It was the killer, after all._

_It was the thing that took her husband._

_That godforsaken rain._

* * *

 

The airport was a beehive. Having not been out in public for several months she gripped the hands of her babies with white knuckled force and stumbled through the chaos with her eyes wide and frightened.

The toddlers were subdued at her feet, stumbling along in quiet steps. This was unlike both of them, where they would have been asking a million questions the children followed with muted breaths and downcast eyes.

Their questions and screams had torn her to ribbons when they found out. She had sobbed so hard as they inquired about their father, not understanding her muffled wept words. Eventually her sister had had to take over.

_Your daddy did something very brave._

_Your daddy loves you so much._

_Your daddy is never coming home._

Hinata did not smile at the woman at the counter. She pushed her passport towards her with trembling pale fingers and reached back down to take a hold of her son's hand. He held her in a sweaty pudgy grip.

"Are you going on vacation?" The woman asked her children.

The four year old looked back at her for a long agonized moment and shook his head, keeping his brilliant blue eyed gaze fixed on her face. "No."

"My daddy died." Beside her the three year old whispered it, one thumb popping out of her mouth just long enough to release the pain and awkwardness into the air.

The woman's face crumbled, searching first the kids faces and then looking back up to Hinata's own impassive gray eyes.

"Oh, ma'am. I'm so very sorry. Please... may I see if I can find you an upgrade?"

"That won't be necessary." her voice was like cracking ice. Screaming in her sleep, weeping until she was hoarse had made it's usually feather soft tones feel like ragged claws.

"Please, it would be a pleasure to make your trip more enjoyable. It would be on us."

For a moment Hinata hesitated. The look on the woman's face was agonized, searching her expression for some semblance of happiness.

Sighing softly Hinata nodded, unable to comply with a smile. "Thank you, we would appreciate that very much."

It was always like this, any shop they entered, any grocery store, any place where their faces were familiar in their tiny bit of nothing for a town.

It was time to go.

"Have a safe trip. When will you be returning, hun?" The woman asked her son, allowing herself to pet the dark locks of hair that crazily framed his head.

"Never." He whispered softly, shaking his head. "We're never coming back."

Before the poor girl could start crying Hinata slid her bag back onto her shoulder and took her children's hands.

"Let's go, darlings."

And she didn't look back.

* * *

 

He slammed back another shot and briefly observed that the taste which had been so bitter to him years ago had long ago been burnt right off his tongue.

The pounding of the music and the frantic movement of the bodies writhing on the dance floor was a background noise by now. Instead he listened to the thumping of his heart beat and the essential way it sped through his veins, thinned by the high volumes of tequila he had downed.

It always took the edge off to start the night with tequila. After that, he knew he could do and say literally anything and just not care about it.

In fact, his eyes lingered on the blonde next to him, eyeing him up as much as he was eyeing her. That looked like prime material for regrets in the morning.

In his intoxicated state he wondered briefly why she seemed so familiar until her blushing face turned away from him for a moment and whispered something to the pink haired girl next to her.

In that one second of girlish immature action Sasuke Uchiha felt the slam of responsibility hit him square on the chest and he felt sick for a second.

Those were his students. Those were two of his stupid hormone enraged students and they were in a bar and they were drinking and they were looking at him with less than virginal intentions.

Cursing he went to get up and realized that no-the tequila really had taken the edge off and with it, it had also taken his balance.

Sitting back down he pulled his phone out of his pocket and proceeded to turn rapidly, camera at the ready to snap a picture, flash on and everything.

Beside him the two girls jumped, their expressions a little offended in the photo that appeared on his phone before scooting over the two bar stools to get near him enough that they didn't have to yell so loud to be heard.

Pulling back quite a bit as they encroached on his personal space Sasuke fought to both not fall on his ass in front of the two irrational teens and not slur his words too much when he cut Ino off. "Just so you know that picture is heading straight to Principal Tsunade's office." And he began to type the email out on his phone while the two girls fluttered around him spouting words that were too high pitched in his drunkenness to make any sense.

"Please! Please, Uchiha-sensei! We'll do anything!" Sakura was gasping. On a regular day he would have had no problem ignoring the extra cleavage currently drooping out of her dress or the way she leaned out on the counter to implore him with big green eyes and plump pink lips. But that had been a lot of tequila and sensing that there was a real possible danger of him looking a bit too long at his students in a way that was disgusting and terrifying he took a chance at falling on his ass and stood.

The room swayed, beneath his feet he could feel the thumping of the floor as hundreds of dancers jumped up and down to some song he probably should know. The lights flickered and shimmered and began their aggressive strobe effect.

Ino's hand on his chest nearly had him tumbling off the raised step of the bar onto the dance floor. Her body suddenly wasn't in her seat but glued to his chest, her palm over his heart, her other hand sliding downwards. "Literally, _anything_ , Uchiha-sensei." she whispered, blue eyes wide and innocent despite her words.

Adrenaline was suddenly pumping through his body, sobering him up just enough to give her a rather aggressive shove.

"Get yourselves back home before I call your parents," He snapped, proud that there had been minimal slurring and overall the whole concept of the sentence had made sense.

Leaving them wide eyed at the bar he turned and headed out through the throng of bouncing moving bodies, trying to keep his breathing even and his head down.

Hopefully no one saw the interaction. Hopefully no one had any of it on video or in a picture. Hopefully he had acted appropriately and wouldn't get in trouble for leaving them here to figure getting home on their own.

He was drunk, decidedly completely drunk, and going out the door with two of his students in their current attire sounded like a good way to get sued.

"Who are the babes?" Someone had their hand on his shoulder and for a moment he thought he was going to turn around and punch whoever it was in the face.

But the touch was familiar and after a moment he realized he also recognized the voice. Allowing himself a slow slightly dizzying eye roll Sasuke glanced back at Kiba, shaking his head.

"Students, you idiot. You want to spend the rest of your life in jail?"

There was a pause where he thought maybe Kiba was no longer with him as his hand disappeared but the boy was looking back and craning his head so hard it might fall off. "Holy smokes- what the hell are they doing here?" He shouted over the pounding of the next song. Rapidly he turned to catch up to the dark haired irritable drunk heading towards the exit.

"They were here for you?"

"I don't know."

"You do know!" Kiba's voice sounded awkwardly loud as they stepped out into the coolness of the evening, breathing in the fresh air and at the same time feeling significantly more intoxicated without the drunken crowd to blend into.

"All I know is I need this job, these stupid girls are going to get me fired."

"Oh but I mean, if you have to get fired, that would be a nice way to-"

"Ugh." Sasuke growled. He wasn't a dead man so yes, he was aware that being as young as he was, being a full teacher at a high school he was _bound_  to have a bit of a problem not... appreciating... his oldest students but he was still a teacher. Only a couple years older than them sure but still.

"They're only 18, Kiba. I'm their sensei."

Kiba was drunk, he could tell by the wolfish grin that plastered on his face and the "Kinky," reply he gave to that comment. Wincing Sasuke shook his head. The normal daylight Kiba would have been horrified that students were hitting on him again. He would have been more concerned about his friend's job situation, he would have supported his rational mature decision to not engage in any thoughts about the students and he would have been vocal about the kind of will power that probably took.

But this wasn't daylight Kiba. This was...

"I mean, just think about it for one second..."

"No, Kiba." Christ was he the only person on the planet that wasn't turned on by bouncing boobs and round asses?

Actually. Probably.

Kiba had bothered to look it up once, while in class at the university on their last semester before becoming full fledged teachers. It was called Sapiosexual, and it was the orientation of being attracted to someone's mind. Sasuke had been surprised that there was a term for it but also a little bit relieved. If there was a term then it wasn't that weird was it?

"It's a bit weird." Kiba continued, strolling along beside him on the busy street. Clubs lined all the sidewalks, as well as late night shops that carried less savory materials for daylight hour shopping.

"I mean, you're probably what, a ten in the girl one to ten hotness scale?"

"Did _you_ just comment on my hotness?"

Ignoring him, Kiba continued, unaffected. "And so most girls who see you are like 'Oh Sasuke' with hearts around their heads."

"You just _commented_ on my hotness."

"And yet," Kiba pushed on, as though words were not coming out of his friend's mouth. "You see them and it's like 'oh look, molecules in the shape of a woman'."

" _Do not_ comment on my hotness again." Sasuke grumped.

"Do you even see them? Like if they have a nice... ya know... whatever." Kiba was sobering up a bit from the rapid walk, and as the tequila he had accompanied his friend with faded so did his ability to say certain words. Namely words his mom wouldn't be proud to hear him saying.

"Of course I see them." Sasuke grumbled. He wasn't a virgin, for crying out loud. It would have been a pretty damn hard thing to do, remain a virgin with women literally climbing into his lap at parties and clubs. He saw them, he felt them,but that didn't mean that he was particularly pleased when he got himself drunk enough to wake up next to one of them.

Anything that came out of their mouths after the fact was always so grating. Only once had he thought maybe he could have worked something out if he hadn't been so drunk as to take her home, and she had cried. She had cried because she had had the good sense to know that waking up next to a stranger- hot or not- was not the way to go about making life choices.

She had been smarter than him, he knew it was a bad idea, and consistently made the same damn mistake. Unlike the girl, whose name he could not remember, who had cried, apologized to him and vowing never to do this again scrambled out of his apartment at high speed.

"Okay so, you do think about it then?"

Sasuke stopped, glaring at his friend through a haze of liquor. "Kiba. They're kids."

"Not really, dude. Not from what I just saw at that bar."

"In their heads they are, and that's where it counts."

Kiba paused, thinking his statement over in his head while Sasuke continued down the street, his hands jammed in his pockets angrily.

"Yeah okay, I see your point."

"It's not a point, it's a fact." Sasuke muttered over his shoulder. "This isn't a debate."

"Well, it's going to be damn hard getting a girlfriend then. You and I are too old for our students, too young for our coworkers and too busy for a life outside of work." Kiba laughed, patting Sasuke's back as he caught up. "It's like, hey maybe _we_ should just date."

Sasuke shoved him, hard, sending him sprawling into the wall of the building they were walking beside. "You comment on my hotness and then you say we should date. Whatever you're drinking you have to stop. I _will_ kill you."

Kiba rubbed his cheek roughly as he caught up. "I just like that you keep saying the word hotness." he smirked. "Makes your face look like it's going to implode."

* * *

 

Hinata's little apartment had appeared cute in the pictures she had seen on the website advertising it as available. It had soft colored walls of pastel blue. There were two rooms, one for the kids and one for her. There was a small kitchen with a window above the sink looking out into the street, and a sliding door to the porch beside it.

The living room and dining area were the same place, because it was Japan and in Japan you made moves to keep space flexible. Off the hall entering the little place there was a bathroom with a tub.

And that was that.

She spun slowly in a circle, feeling the tug of the kids hands on her skirt as she twisted, examining every angle of their tiny abode.

"Well. We didn't bring much with us so that's a good thing..." she murmured.

"Where will our couch go?" Beside her Haku eyed the space with confused eyes. "Or our table."

It had been hard to explain to a four year old that all of their stuff would not be coming with them. She had given them each a suitcase and with a lot of effort convinced herself to let them fill it with the items they wanted to take with them.

At first they had filled it with toys, dumping blocks and cars into their respective bags until she stressed that it was the only things they would be taking with them from the entire house. Suddenly her son had taken on a more serious expression and to her complete heart break began tearing framed pictures from his shelves.

Pictures of him and his daddy.

"We won't have a couch, really, honey." Hinata murmured, walking into the tiny kitchen. At least it would be efficient. She could touch both the stove and the counter and the sink without really taking more than half a step. And she would have to have fresh items on hand at all times because there wasn't much room for storage. It would force her to really allocate her time wisely, and not daydream or...cry... too much.

"No couch?" Beside her brother Sora frowned. "But mine shoes."

"Your shows?" Hinata inquired, deciphering her baby accent as she opened the cupboards of the kitchen.

"Ya!"

"I will get a tv, but we will get a little coffee table with comfy chairs, and we can have dinner there." she continued.

"But..." Haku stuttered, eyes wide. "But we don't eat in the living room."

"At our old house we didn't."

"At daddy's house." Haku corrected, and Hinata closed her eyes, pressing her forehead against the stove's fan cover. This was so hard, this was just so hard. Had she made a mistake? Leaving everything and everyone behind?

"It was all of our house." She whispered, walking over and crouching down to look at Haku directly in his sky blue eyes. "Daddy and Mommy bought it together, and we loved it, and we loved having you in it, and being in the house with you. But..." she sucked air into her lungs and felt the familiar burn of the grief turning it into a poisonous gas.

"But Daddy... he's gone now, he is gone now and we have to start over so that this can be our house now."

"Without Daddy." Haku clarified, searching her face. His gaze was filling with tears, and his chin was wobbling again and Hinata felt her own expression begin to mirror his own.

"Yes, baby... Without Daddy."

"I want Daddy." Sora gasped, reaching for Hinata's arm with fat baby fingers in a vice grip. "I want Daddy too!"

Hinata lowered her head for a moment, putting her hand over her mouth to stifle the sounds that were clawing their way up her throat.

"Oh honey." she finally managed, looking up at them and smiling through tears. "Oh I want daddy too babies. But he is gone, okay? Remember we talked about that?"

"But I want daddy!" Sora was gripping her arm harder and harder, and Haku was now sobbing, his face hidden in the crook of his elbow.

Hinata settled down onto her knees, dragging both her babies into her as they began to scream, whispering her love for them even as she envied their ability to be so abandoned in their grief.


	2. Chapter 2

She woke the first day with a painful fist in her stomach. Beside her both her babies lay snoring, like their father their sleep was deep and restful. Although, lately they had been struggling to stay in the depths of slumber, instead waking often, searching in the dark for each other for their mother and usually ending the frantic search for their daddy in tears.

This night had been the same as all the other nights at home. _My old home_. Hinata corrected herself. This was home now, the place where she had languished in the arms of her first and only love had been home once.

It was no longer.

Outside the window she could see to her immense relief a sky that was bright and blue devoid of clouds. A smell of something being fried in a nearby apartment lingered in the air. She detected scents of ginger and sesame oil. She almost smiled.

Words were thrown around as other families began to get ready for the day, muffled by the walls but generally soothing in their lilting Japanese. Nothing was familiar. And that was the charm of it.

Slowly and with care she untangled herself from her baby's sleeping arms and began to get ready for the first day at her new job. Carefully she pulled out one of several pencil skirts, studying herself in her mirror with each item pressed against her hips. However nothing seemed to fit right. Months of eating little and throwing up more had resulted in several inches of baby weight sliding from her body without much effort.

She had always felt a little self conscious of the extra pounds she had gained after having Sora. They held on like magnets to her bones and no amount of heated whispered words in her ear from Naruto's mouth ever seemed to really get the dislike to fade for her love handles. He had not noticed, or rather he had with appreciative whispered nothings in the nights. Quietly she smoothed out her skirt, noting that it fit too loosely and that the shirt would need to have a safety pin at the top to keep it closed.

She sighed. His hands had slid over her body so many times when she stared at herself in the mirror with dislike, tracing the curves of her thighs, up over her soft tummy the old home of the two most precious things they had. His blue eyes had gazed at her in the mirror, smirking and blatant in his appreciation.

Cautiously now she reached up to her neck, feeling along the edge of her sharp jaw line, trying to remember what it felt like when his lips slid across the skin there, grasping at the memory was like holding light and with a body shuddering breath she lowered her gaze to her feet, allowing herself one wounded expression before rubbing her face. No time, there was no time for that.

"Mama?" Haku's voice came wobbly from the covers of her bed and turning resolutely towards him she forced on a bright tear stained smile. "Ohaiyo darling ones! Ohaiyo!"

The flurry of activity was loud and not too stressful. She had packed their lunches the night before, had pressed their uniforms, had their backpacks ready and at the front door.

Quickly and with as much cheerful smiling as possible she sat the kids at the new shiny oak table in what she was now calling the family room although really it was the everything room. Together they munched on toast and eggs, Hinata trying to pay attention to the conversation her two toddlers were having about why the people around spoke in odd words they did not understand.

But she was distracted, worry was nagging at the back of her mind. There was going to be issues with understanding her boss. Her Japanese was not perfect in fact it was rather raw. She had not used it consistently in a very long time. Being raised in the west had benefited her immensely but now she was regretting not keeping up with her studies after getting married so young.

For the first time ever she wondered if her father was right and if she had made a mistake. Marrying young had not been what the family had wanted for her. Getting pregnant soon after had both surprised and angered them even more. She was a Hyuuga, and in their tiny home town it was expected that Hyuugas go to university, get a degree, become doctors, lawyers, senators even. And when the day of reckoning came they got nannies and continued on with their work like having a child was an extended vacation they needed a break from once the baby was weaned.

But that had not been Hinata, not from the start. Together she and Naruto had fought hard for what they wanted, and when the pregnancy came she had happily dissolved any notion of working. Their tiny tipsy house at the edge of the town line on the flat lands of the valley where they lived had been old, and well loved. And yet it had been home.

Now though, she walked through the hall of their apartment to the doorway, trying not to bump her children with the purse and backpacks that hung from her arms. Wonderingly she gazed at their matching preschool outfits, their tiny heads capped with yellow hats to distinguish them in a crowd.

Naruto would have loved to see them, proudly shining their buttons as they headed out the door to their first day at daycare. He would have encouraged Haku to be brave, and expressed to Sora his expectations that there would be no fighting.

"Let's go!" Hinata called, opening the door and tumbling out into the fray of the Japanese day. There would be no shiny buttons or pep talk today. She couldn't give one when she needed it herself.

* * *

 

"Did you get a reply from Tsunade about last night?" Kiba inquired, coming up beside Sasuke as he stared out the windows of his classroom.

It was early, much earlier than most other teachers bothered to show up and only a few overtly stressed students were headed towards the classes.

"No." He mumbled, rubbing his face tiredly, feeling the effects of the tequila even after drinking copious amounts of water to try to stave off the hang over. "I didn't expect to when I checked what I wrote in the email and found a half finished sentence instead of an explanation for the picture." he muttered. Kiba winced. Picture of students drinking at a bar from Sasuke's phone and a drunken half message with no explanation.

Yeah, probably not going to get an email. He was headed straight for a personal visit, and a personal visit meant...

"Uchiha." Tsunade's voice cut through the silence of the class and the two teachers turned calmly towards the door. Sasuke sighed and tried to look as calm and unaffected as possible.

"Principal Tsunade."

"I wanted to give you an opportunity to explain the email I received at half past 1 in the morning on Sunday night. The attachment caught my interest although, I must say the email seemed..."

"Unfinished." Sasuke supplied.

"I was going to say suicidal but I suppose unfinished does have a lighter more positive spin on it, hm?" Tsunade's blue gaze was penetrating and Sasuke took another breath to try to calm himself. It would not do to argue and irritate the one person in the building who could start the crazy roller coaster ride towards getting fired. No, it would not.

"I was out on my free time." He explained curtly. "I was having a few drinks at a club, on my day off. I saw them there, I took a picture, I sent it to you. I expressed the need for them to get home and that their parents were going to be informed. I promptly left."

Tsunade's unreadable expression did not bode well. Beside him Kiba raised one hand up, like a tiny white flag of surrender. "I was present, Tsunade-san. We left early because of the encounter."

"Early?" Tsunade muttered. "One in the morning is early? On a work night?"

It was annoying having to listen to this whole thing again, and trying hard not to roll his eyes Sasuke restrained a sigh. Becoming a teacher had seemed at the time of his university enrollment like the best course of action. He could do anything, but honestly he wanted to do something that didn't require him to be mindlessly bored at home all the time. Teaching required he take work home, it required extra hours, it was a competitive career to get into and the fierceness of the competition had appealed to him.

Getting the position early had also been part of the goal but now he was wondering if he had made a mistake. As one of the youngest teachers in the prefecture there were issues with the students remembering he wasn't fair dating game. Having not considered this possibility he was rather annoyed.

At first the other teachers and his principal had been helpful and understanding. Now they were starting to wonder if he was doing it on purpose and playing dumb. When students started confessing their eternal love to you in letters on a regular basis people got sick of having them presented as evidence that he wasn't interested. And now this.

"You are not at university anymore, Uchiha-san." she frowned, one hand coming to land on her hip for extra emphasis. "You are a teacher now, and as one you must behave accordingly. I was against you being hired into a highschool, you are too close in age."

"I know." Sasuke replied, just so it would appear he was listening.

"You have to be a role model for these students, and separate yourself from them as peers."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Going out and partying isn't exactly how I would go about encouraging the next generation to be responsible citizens."

A sigh escaped him and Tsunade's eyebrows drew together menacingly. "On other news you have managed to aggravate yet another of my Assistant Language Teachers into quitting last week."

Sasuke blinked, actually surprised by that statement. Sure he had been tough on the old fellow but it was mostly just for kicks.

"You can't be ignoring them flat out and treating them like crap. The kids and you need the expertise that they bring to the language class."

"Hai."

"So please, be considerate of his replacement. I cannot go through another hiring fiasco, I'm done. If you do not treat this one nicely I will leave you to deal with the class on your own."

This caught his attention. English Class was his least favorite class to teach. The kids stumbled through the words and made him impatient and stressed. Math and Sciences were his favorite subjects. The material had rules that needed to be followed. The information could be transmitted quickly and effectively. Things were either wrong or right. In language there was always one irritating word to throw a wrench into things. Perspective.

"Fine." He nodded. "I understand."

"Good. She will be coming upstairs to meet you shortly, I am just finishing up her orientation right now. She's fresh off the plane has only been here a week and her Japanese is dicey so stick to English for now."

Kiba cocked his head. "She's not from here?"

"No, she traveled for this job, uprooted herself completely so for heaven's sake." She glared at them as she stepped towards the door. "Don't make it hard for her. She's the last one the agency is going to send us, and like you she's brand new at this."

"New graduate?" he frowned.

"Yeah, Bachelor of Arts and History." she waved a hand to express how it didn't seem to matter to her. "Actually she's your age. It's not ideal that she has no masters but beggars can't be choosers."

Kiba perked up suddenly, walking after Tsunade as if pulled by an invisible leash. "Our age. Really?"

Sasuke leaned back against the window, closing his eyes in annoyance.

Fan-freaking-tastic.

* * *

 

"Thank you, Tsunade-san." Hinata bowed briefly at the door of the principal's office.

Her face was red, it had been red since she stepped up to the building feeling with acute dislike the heat radiating off her face. She was nervous and nerves always made this instant heat rise to her head. Tsunade had made no comment on it, but looked wonderingly at her once or twice.

"That's the school overall." Tsunade nodded, waving away her thanks. "I think you now have had the full tour. Although you will mostly be spending time upstairs on the second floor. You will be assisting the teachers up there with their English Lessons."

"I am looking forward to it." Hinata managed, wrestling with her stutter and winning the fight by sheer force of will.

Tsunade studied her for a moment and then said very softly. "Are you all right, Hyuga-san? You seem very warm and I am sorry to have your first day be one where you are feverish."

"Oh!" Hinata gasped, shaking her head softly and feeling more and more like a fool. "N-no, Tsunade-san. I am not ill, thank you for asking." Before Tsunade could continue to inquire as to what was wrong a pair of steps coming down the stairs suddenly echoed and as she turned she smiled, although the smile was thin and perhaps less than welcoming.

"Uchiha-san." She called as the dark haired man walked slowly down towards them, hands gripping a pile of books tightly.

His gaze flickered to the girl next to her and he froze.

Hinata's eyes were huge, in the light of the window the gray color seemed to glow back at him with her surprise. It had been over six years since he had last seen her and yet there she stood like she belonged in the school he worked at, rooted to the spot.

His face was scrambling to do something, he could feel the tension across his neck and back. Determination alone managed to keep him from not to letting his jaw drop but clench tightly. Tsunade frowned at him openly as he stared at their new addition, clearing her throat. "Uchiha-san, this is Hyuga-san she is our new Assistant Language Teacher."

"S-s-sasuke-kun-" Hinata began.

Tsunade turned to her as though bit. "You know him?"

Before Hinata could reply Sasuke had walked down the last five steps and handed her the armful of books roughly. "We met earlier as she came in." He stated thinly, turning her around by the shoulders and pushing her towards the stairs.

"Second to last class at the end of the hall." He instructed.

Hinata took two steps forward, her face now not just red but burning. "But-" she began and felt again his hand pushing much more firmly than she liked towards the stairs.

"I'll be right there, Hyuuga-san." he snapped and Hinata walked up the stairs, head down.

"Not again." Tsunade's tone was less than pleasant as she turned back to him, snapping her mouth closed after being stunned into silence at their exchange. "You cannot treat people like that! You don't even know her!"

 _Oh thank God_.

"She was dawdling." He muttered.

"No she wasn't she- why did she call you Sasuke-kun? You just met her this morning?"

Sasuke winced briefly. "I told her to."

"You?" Tsunade felt her face twist with disbelief. "You told her to?"

"Hai."

"You?"

"Yes, we've covered this."

"You never allow anyone- not even Inuzuka-san calls you-"

"I like her." he blurt, scrambling for reasoning when there was none. The hangover was not helping this exchange and as the words left his mouth he regretted them deeply. The look that crossed his principals face was a delirium of emotion.

"You what?"

"I think she's cute."

"Uchiha-san."

"I will be professional."

"You are... you are unbelievable." Tsunade cocked her head at him, hands on her hips. It was her battle stance. He was in trouble all right. Mentally channeling all the zen in the world he took a deep breath.

"I made a mistake, I should not have told her to call me Sasuke-kun. Believe me I will make sure she understands she must call me Uchiha-san. I will do that. I wasn't aware she was the new assistant." he rambled, piecing together a story on the fly. Never had he been more grateful for his supposed genius.

Tsunade shook her head, throwing her hands in the air before turning away to head back to the office. "You're lucky we're unionized because if I had my way..."

"Hai, hai." Sasuke grumbled as he practically ran up the stairs. "I know."

* * *

 

_It can't be._

Hinata stared at his face, felt her stomach drop out of her body and her blood freeze. No, not it couldn't be. Her ears heard Tsunade's words.

_Uchiha-san. Uchiha. Sasuke Uchiha._

A picture was hanging on her fridge at her apartment. There was the blonde smiling face of Naruto, he was young, much younger than the last time she had seen him, and beside him a dark brooding shadow who looked mildly annoyed at the arm her husband had thrown over his shoulder. It had been taken long ago, before Sasuke had lost his brother, before he had began to drink and dropped out of school to study on his own. His beauty was not perfectly captured in pictures and she realized that she had completely forgotten what he looked like despite seeing the photos regularly in her home. He had come and gone into Naruto's life before she had ever truly stepped into it and so their paths although crossed had never really mingled.

Until now, until right then.

_Oh no. No! How did I get hired at the only school in the entirety of Japan with a person from home?_

"S-s-sasuke-kun?" Why had she called him that?! She had never ever called him that!

Dark ebony eyes lingered on her face, she watched with fascination and panic as a muscle pulsed in his jaw. He stepped down the steps so fast she was startled when his face was inches from her own, pushing an armful of books into her body without any warning. Before she knew what she was doing she was heading up the stairs, heart pounding and completely confused.

What had just happened? Why did he just do that?

Hearing the sounds of steps suddenly coming after her she jumped and nearly dropped the heavy stack of books in her arms when Sasuke appeared at the top landing, his brows furrowed as he approached her, grabbed her by the arm unceremoniously and tossed her into an empty classroom before closing the sliding door behind him.

"What are you doing here?"

Hinata blanched, taking a step back at the less than friendly tone of voice he was using. Nervously she shifted the books in her arms, feeling her purse slide off her shoulder and onto her elbow.

"I-I-I-"

Frustrated Sasuke grabbed the books from her tossing them on a desk, making her shrink into herself and take another step back that he made void by taking her shoulders in his hands.

"Hyuga, why are you here?"

Hinata blinked at him in utter confusion, her gray eyes spewing what her mouth simply could not. "I work here!" she finally gasped, making him pause.

Slowly he took a step back, letting go of her. "This is great." he sighed sarcastically, rubbing a hand through his dark hair. Hinata finally realized she was breathing way too fast, one hand to her chest she struggled to calm herself.

"I fly across the world to try to get away from Konoha and yet here you are." He muttered to himself, leaning against the door with eyes closed, pressing a hand to the back of his neck hard.

Hinata stared, blinking rapidly, having him take the words right out of her mouth felt strange. She had always wondered why Naruto was so determined to stay friends with this man even though Sasuke was obviously equally determined not to be.

For years after he dropped out of school Naruto had taken trips out across the country to visit his "best friend" as he called it at his university. He always begged him to come back but seemed to fail each time. And when Sasuke graduated early and with honors, disappearing for a foreign job nearly a year ago Naruto had continued to write to him, sending letters to the PO box that was the only contact he now had with his "friend."

Sasuke never replied though and Hinata had stopped thinking about him. By the time she had entered into Naruto's life Sasuke had long ago disappeared from their town. In her mind he was a quiet boy in the back of her middle school classes. But his lack of manners and the general consensus among the town that he had gone off the deep end appeared to be spot on.

"I need to go, Uchiha-san." Hinata whispered moving to step out of the room only to have him block the door abruptly.

"No one knows where I am from here." he began like they were in the middle of a conversation. "No one knows and I like it that way. As far as they're concerned I have no friends no family no nothing. I want to keep it as it is."

Hinata frowned at him a little, her hands gripping her bag tightly. Finally feeling less than saintly she murmured. "Well isn't that the truth though, Uchiha-san?"

Surprised Sasuke felt his head cock to the right, studying her with more interest. She had aged a bit since his last memories of her. Tiny and mouse like Hinata Hyuuga had hid in baggy sweaters and long black bangs. Naruto had always sworn she was a sweet girl but Sasuke a) could not have cared less and b) never heard her say a single thing that wasn't a frightened squeak.

There were dark circles under her eyes that spoke of either not enough care for her health or lack of sleep or both. She was thin, thinner than he remembered her. Her cheek bones and jaw were sharp and gave her once plain face a sort of elegance that was more womanly than the teen girl he had in his memory. But he could tell, from a quick glance that she was tired. Her clothes did not fit quite right, her hands were dry and her nails on two fingers broken. His eyes lingered on her hand and the glittering rock on her finger, frowning.

"Married." he stated, looking back up at her face to watch her eyes widen and her hand slammed down behind her back.

"I need to go."

"Who else is with you?" he countered, worried now. If she brought someone else with her from that goddamn town this was going to be extremely complicated. Hinata stared at him, and for a moment something fierce reared its head inside of her mind. There was no way she was telling this brat about her children. About anything.

"No one you know."

A sigh escaped him and disgusted she pushed past him. Obviously he had not been bothering to read anything her husband had been mailing him for years. Irritated beyond belief she opened the sliding door with more force than necessary, surprised by the loud whack of the wood on wood. Sasuke blinked at her back as she stepped out and then smirked.

"Please," she murmured as she moved to close the door behind herself. "Do n-not touch me again."

And she slammed the door shut.

* * *

 

The day had not gone as she had planned- prayed- wished upon a star for.

Instead she had begun with an argument with the co-worker she would be working the closest with. Albeit she didn't start it, but she had not exactly smoothed things over by the end of the day.

Stonily she had moved through the classes, answering him in one word answers if necessary, ignoring him if not. It was so unlike her that the blush continued on her face and neck all day, brightening to a smoldering glow whenever he neared her person. The students watched with quiet expressive eyes as their teachers awkwardly maneuvered around each other, like moons in orbit.

"Oka-san looks tired." Haku whispered from the table, peeking at her over his dinner plate quietly. Dinner had been planned to be something familiar and delicious. Spaghetti and meat sauce,Cesar salad and garlic bread. Naruto's favorite thing she made besides ramen. It had taken her most of one day after arriving to find all the ingredients she needed for the meal bouncing from grocery store to grocery store until everything came together.

Instead of cooking however she had crawled home with her babies with her tail between her legs, wondering deeply about the choices she had recently made. Quietly she had thrown together two sandwiches and some apple slices on a plate and set them before her kids, switching the TV on before lowering her head onto the table tiredly.

"Oh." She murmured looking up at him with a smile. "Did you learn to say Mama in Japanese today at school?" Haku nodded, picking up a slice of apple to bite into.

"Daddy is Otou-san."

Sighing Hinata looked at the TV to avoid his gaze.

"Yeah it is, baby." Her eyes lingered sleepily on the tv for a long moment, sliding to her kitchen and to the fridge where a certain picture was pinned with a magnet. Slowly she pushed herself up and pulled it off the mini freezer, staring at Naruto's grinning face and sliding her gaze to the irritated scowl on Sasuke Uchiha's.

"Haku..." Hinata began, watching her four year old look up at her curiously from his food. Beside him an exhausted Sora lay asleep on the floor, her food half finished.

"Why did you take this with you from the house?" She showed him the picture. "You're not in this picture with daddy."

Haku blinked at her and then at the picture, cocking his head. "But I like it."

"Right." Hinata mumbled, expecting nothing less then that from her son.

"And," He continued, making her pause. "He's like the sun." He reached for the picture and Hinata let him take it in his tiny hands staring at it with hungry eyes. "Daddy glows. "

Curiously Hinata looked at the photo again, studying Naruto's beaming face in the full blaze of the sunlight of summer. "That man looks like he's cold." Haku added. "Daddy's warming him up."

Surprised again Hinata reached to take the picture back.

"I think Daddy likes warming up people." he continued, taking a bite of his sandwich. Slowly his mother turned back to the fridge, placing a magnet back on the picture gazing at it thoughtfully. Ashamed suddenly of her behavior with Sasuke she sighed, lowering her face into her hands tiredly. Naruto had cared so much about him. How could she upon meeting him here be so rude? It wasn't like he was in contact with anyone at home, he seemed to be as desperate to not be found as she was.

_I think Daddy likes warming up people._

Hinata peeked at the image of her beloved again through her fingers, erasing the tears from her face as they fell.

Daddy liked. He lik _ed_ warming up people.

_I'm so sorry, Naruto...I'll do better tomorrow._


	3. Chapter 3

He had not slept well. The gin had done nothing to ease the tension and after doing a lot of marking on papers that were increasingly less interesting as the time passed he had paced through his apartment until finally standing outside on the porch glaring into the lights of the town in the darkness.

In the dim light of midnight the city looked like fireflies glowing. With the summer dying and fall rushing in to take it's place it was chilly but mostly just loud. Nothing ever seemed to shut up in this city, it didn't matter what time it was.

Back home- or back there in Konoha at eight o'clock silence abounded. Shops closed, jobs ended, the families were all tucked away for the night and only the oppressive loneliness had been his friend.

Naruto Uzumaki had tried, he knew, to keep that loneliness from eating him alive but besides visiting him almost constantly with food, and invites to parties or movies or something there was nothing he could do. Eventually Sasuke would have to be alone in the huge house his parents had bought. When the cook and the maid were finally off for the day he had wandered through the building counting rooms, and then doors, and then windows for lack of anything to do.

Reading the books in the library had distracted him just long enough to get through the funeral of his brother without being a complete drunk. But when he returned from the awful, gut wrenching day to the empty stillness of the house he had walked straight to the liquor cabinet in the sitting room and pulled out the first large bottle he could find.

He was only 15 at the time, had never really had more than a sip of wine at dinners and a beer with his brother after a particularly hard day working in the yard.

Whatever the bottle had been, it burned as it went down and the deliciousness of the pain had been his undoing. He woke up the next day with a headache but the knowledge that if only for half a dozen hours he had been completely dead and gone to the world. He had been like his family, and that feeling of commonality won out, every night that Naruto didn't show up.

Eventually he had begun to close the door on the blonde's face, choosing the bottle instead of his friend.

It got to the point where Sasuke didn't even bother to answer the door, listening to the banging and Naruto's angry calls for him through the wood as he sipped away on expensive rums, wondering how he had been reduced to this.

With his grades flopping and social workers eyeing him more and more he realized he would have to make a call about his life quickly. Another visit from a government representative to check out his living conditions was going to rip any sort of control from his hands. His brother's will had stated that Sasuke should live as he saw fit, that he was a mature and hard working adolescent, that he trusted him with the family fortune and was sure he would make good choices.

Well Itachi had been wrong about a lot of things.

Sitting back on his porch Sasuke stared out into the night, watching the gin blur the lights of the streets and houses below into little fuzzy pinpricks in the darkness.

Itachi had been wrong about pretty much everything.

Deciding it was time for bed he downed the rest of the cup, moving to go back inside. The tingle at his finger tips was taking more and more gin each night, and he briefly pondered if he would kill himself one day, just drinking bottle after bottle until there was no more blood in his veins, just the poison.

If it had not been for Hinata Hyuuga showing up out of thin air he wouldn't have been thinking about Konoha, or Naruto or anything related to Itachi. if it hadn't been for her he would have gone home and like usual studied something he enjoyed after marking, gone out to dinner, maybe to a bar with Kiba and finished his day with several Old Fashions* and a good book before bed.

But her sudden appearance in his life had made him gloomy the rest of the day, had made him wonder and worry about who else knew he was here. She was friends when they were young with that stupid blonde who wouldn't let him go. What if he called her to say hi, and casually her words stumbled out about the dick who had pulled her into a classroom on the first day and threatened her, essentially.

"Ugh." Sasuke grumbled, stopping in the kitchen to pour himself yet another cup of gin.

The shame of how he had reacted to her presence was threatening to crawl up his back and into his ear, whispering the dislike for himself that was hard to shake.

Determinedly he threw back the gin, quieting the voice with force.

* * *

Hinata stared up at the school building. She had found, among her clothes one skirt that actually fit from before having kids. She was surprised that she had it at all, seeing as she had never envisioned she would lose enough of her extra baby weight to fit back into it. Somehow though it had ended up in her suitcase and thankfully in her hands on her second attempt at a good start.

"Here we go." She whispered softly, smoothing out the skirt with her hand and tightening her hold on the files in the other.

Sasuke had been more than happy to drop tall piles of marking into her lap. His statement had been that looking over the coursework the kids had done in the last week would help her get a grip on where they were in their language acquisition.

Yeah sure, whatever.

_No._

Sighing she paused at the front doors, pressing her fingers into her eyes to try to dispel the growing headache at the back of her optic nerve.

_What would Naruto have done in this situation? What would he have said?_

"Hyuuga-san!" The voice was so sudden that she jumped, nearly dropping a handful of files before turning around. "Tsunade-san, Ohaiyo."

"Good morning." The blonde smiled tentatively at her. "You look nice." she waved a hand at her skirt and Hinata looked down, bursting into pink cheeked heat at her words. "Oh, uh... arigato."

"So that's what it is." Tsunade laughed lightly as she pushed open the school door. "You blush."

 _Great. Just, fantastic._ Hinata forced a smile. "I am still a little nervous about starting a new position. I ... I do not want to disappoint."

Tsunade walked beside her down the hall, studying her quietly. "I don't think you have to worry about that. You were top of your class at graduation and I have nothing but good things to hear from any of your teachers."

Hinata sighed, knowing that Professor Kurenai would have ranted a little too aggressively about her good qualities. Everyone who knew her had wanted her to do well. Taking the last exams for her studies a month after Naruto's passing had seemed like she was taking a step in the right direction, and when she had asked people she knew to be her references for jobs they had been delighted.

They probably would have been less so if they had known what the plan had been in her head. Get certified, get a job, get the hell out.

"I do want to talk to you about Uchiha-san though." Tsunade continued, and watched with mild panic as Hinata's face grew steadily warmer.

"Ah, well... I yes... he was rather..." she began and Tsunade raised a hand to stop her. "Oh don't worry about explaining anything to me, I know that boy better than you realize. Don't let him bully you okay? And don't call him Sasuke-kun even if he asked you to. You look like a smart girl." Her eyes flickered to Hinata's hand where her wedding ring glimmered softly.

Hinata felt her face drain of color in realization. "Oh... Tsunade-san. I can't express how much I did not like what happened yesterday- Uchiha-san he... I don't know why I called him Sasuke-kun, I never have, I..." she stopped, watching the confusion flitting over her principals face. Taking a deep breath she raised her hand, making her ring finger flutter.

"I...I am widowed." she finally allowed herself to say, looking back down at her palms and studying the glittering diamond there tiredly. "I suppose I should... perhaps take this off to avoid any more confusion, but I... I just cannot."

Tsunade's eyes were huge, staring at her in surprise. "Oh, Hyuuga-san I am so very sorry, I was concerned not because of you but because Uchiha-san can sometimes be... well we've been having some... "

"Having some what, exactly?"

The women turned, one brightening into a soft pink sheen the other glowering with dislike.

"Good morning, Uchiha-san."

"Principal Tsunade." He replied lazily, eyes flickering from her face to the avoiding gray eyes of the Hyuuga next to her.

"What have we been having?"

"Issues." Tsunade supplied curtly. "We have been having some issues with you and some students and Hyuuga-san is a position to alleviate some of the pressure from you as a buffer. Isn't that right, Hyuuga-san?"

Hinata looked at the floor blearily.

The first class had not even started, she had not even made it upstairs to the second floor. And already this.

"Of course, Tsunade-san."

"There, so use the tools available to you, Uchiha-san. I expect the reports of students being inappropriate to lower drastically in the coming weeks." And off she went with a quick squeeze to Hinata's shoulder. "Have a good day!"

"Arigato." Hinata mumbled without much conviction, turning towards the stairs slowly, shoulders slumped.

Sasuke followed just as slowly, studying her with a less than friendly air.

"What we discussed yesterday..." he began watching her pause on the middle landing, closing her eyes.

"What about it, Uchiha-san?"

"I have worked hard to break ties with that town. I would appreciate some discretion when discussing anything with your friends or family- there's people that may be looking for me."

"No," Hinata opened her eyes to look at him finally, irritation had bloomed on her face and he pondered at it, not particularly phased although surprised. "No one is looking."

Sasuke frowned then. "You wouldn't know."

Biting her cheek Hinata let out a long sigh. "I am not particularly interested in being found either. You don't have to worry about me telling anyone where you are." she began to slow steady climb back up the stairs. "I have no one from home to call."

The Uchiha let out a scoff. "You expect me to believe that? You're a Hyuuga, there's more of you in Konoha than-"

"Hyuuga is my maiden name." Hinata muttered, starting up the stairs again to cut him off. "I only switched back to it because..." drifting off she stopped seeing the second floor flooded with students chatting amiably to each other, their loud banter and giggles making her sigh with tiredness.

Sasuke followed behind her with his frown becoming more and more permanent.

"So long as there's no news about my location I don't care."

Finally exhausted by his pestering Hinata turned to look at him, jaw tight. "No one knows where I am either, except for you. There's no need for you to worry."

Before he could absorb what she said she was gone, walking down the hall with her head down, making students glance curiously at her as she passed by.

_Why the hell would a Hyuuga not be in touch with her family?_

Sasuke watched her go, unmoving. Something didn't feel right.

* * *

"So the new girl." Kiba began, munching on his bento box across the desk from Sasuke.

The Uchiha felt a flash of headache at the mention of that one particular subject. "I don't really want to talk about it- her, I mean." He muttered.

Kiba blinked peering at him over the top of his computer screen. "Aw man, is she fangirling all over you already? It's only the first week!"

Sasuke looked up then, wondering how to proceed. It would have been the usual thing to happen, given his history. He had even had a couple of the male Assistant Teachers blushing, which was partly why he had been so rude to them in particular. He didn't need rumors starting about his orientation, a no was a no was a no.

This particular assistant blushed plenty, but he knew in his bones it had nothing to do with him, and it was certainly not fangirling.

"No, actually." he admitted, realizing his surprise.

Kiba chewed slowly at him for a moment, eyes unmoving from his face. "Come again?"

"She's not interested."

"She's a lesbian?"

Sasuke winced at him. "How did you end up at _that_ conclusion?"

"I saw her." Kiba pointed at him with his chopsticks, flinging a piece of rice onto Sasuke's marking. "She's cute, and she's young and she's female so if she's not attracted to you she's a lesbian."

"Married, actually." Sasuke flicked the rice back at Kiba's face expertly with two fingers. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Is your ego bruised?" Kiba grinned at him for a moment. "This must be a new field for you."

"No." Sasuke shook his head. "Kind of relieved actually."

"Well, if she's not a lesbian maybe I'll-"

"She's married," Sasuke stressed, making Kiba's face slump. "Damn."

"You need to go on a dating site, or something." Sasuke continued, moving back to his marking with an expression of deep distaste. "I can't have another conversation about you wanting a girlfriend. Really."

"Listen, at least I know I need a girlfriend, you and your delusions of grandeur about being a lone wolf-"Kiba began and then paused suddenly, looking up in time to see Hinata enter the teachers lounge quietly.

"Incoming." He muttered and Sasuke looked up too, restraining himself from wincing as she came towards him.

"Uchiha-san, these are the reports from the kids in class 2-a." She placed them on the desk lightly, her eyes never raising to meet his own.

"These are for 2-c, and 2-b."

"Hn." Sasuke replied turning back to his marking without comment. Hinata paused for a moment as if waiting for him to say something and then finally allowing herself a slightly exasperated sigh. "Would you like me to take anything home to mark? I will not be coming in tomorrow so it would need to be something that wasn't required to be handed back to them right away."

Kiba munched on his lunch quietly, eyes flicking back and forth between the two with fixed interest.

"Why are you not here tomorrow?" Sasuke turned to her with a frown of irritation, looking up at her from his position with nearly tangible dislike.

Hinata looked back down at him and held his gaze for only a moment before surrendering that fight.

"I am only working 30 hour weeks. I am not full time."

"Tsunade-san never mentioned."

Hinata paused, straightening out her skirt with one hand. "The marking?"

"No I don't have anything for you." He turned away with obvious irritation. "If I needed a part time teaching assistant I would have requested one."

A long pregnant pause followed and heat rose to her face slowly, darkening her pale cheeks.

"I...I hear that you had a full time assistant but they quit... Repeatedly."

Her reply made Kiba's eyes widen. The voice had been soft, the words polite, but her eyes were now trained once more on Sasuke's face, her jaw clenched. She was blushing, a brilliant crimson on her cheeks making her look less threatening. To her utter irritation Sasuke actually smirked, leaning back against his chair and eyeing her with obvious interest.

"...you do look kind of cute when you're mad, Hyuuga-san."

A flash of surprise and then fury washed over Hinata's face and abruptly she turned, heading out the door with quick clicking steps of her heels.

"It was a pleasure to meet you!" Kiba shouted after her, half standing up in his chair. She didn't look back.

"Wow!" He gasped, turning to Sasuke who was no longer smirking but scowling, animosity rolling off of him in waves. "She's something."

"Don't." Sasuke growled, slamming the reports he should have given her to take home into piles a little more aggressively than he needed to.

"I don't think I've ever seen someone blush at you because of how mad they were before." Kiba continued undeterred. "It's like a whole new world."

"Kiba."

"The universe has shifted on it's axels."

"Inuzuka."

The young man glanced at him then, smirking. "So, you can't have students, right, because of the whole immoral thing. But what about married women?"

Nose flaring Sasuke stood, gathering the piles of work he did not have time to mark in his hands. "I hope you straighten out your thinking right now so when I come back you don't have to die." He glared, storming out the door.

Kiba sat back down on his chair, hands laced behind his head. "Whatever you say, Uchiha-san, whatever you say."

Down the hall Sasuke could see Hinata's form heading for the stairs. Taking them two at a time she was practically running out of the building.

There was no rum around and no gin. He might be a drinker at home but at work he couldn't afford the chance of being caught and although it sometimes made the days feel like slow painful torture he was mostly sober.

And as a result there was nothing to stop the nasty little voices growling in his head.

_Why is she so incredibly annoying?_

"I heard you had a full time assistant and they quit, repeatedly."

_Since when is she suddenly all spunky. She would have died if she so much as looked at Naruto before._

Jaw firm he stumbled down the stairs after her, glad that most of the students were in their classes and there were less witnesses to him almost running down the halls.

"Hyuuga." he called, watching her starting at the sound of her name with her hand on the door of the school's front doors. A frown was firmly planted between her brows and clenching her purse tightly she waited.

"I do need you to mark some things." he began, all business stopping abruptly when she let go of the door and walked up to him, her jaw clenched so tight he could see the muscles of her face tightening.

"I don't understand it. I don't understand why he was always so determined for you to come back."

Sasuke paused, trying to catch up. "Did I miss a part of a conversation or-?"

"Naruto always saw the best in everyone and I always believed him to be right but here you are and I cannot believe it. I cannot believe that he would think you were worth fighting for."

His heart began to pound, a steady but increasingly painful rhythm in his chest at her words. His eyes flickered over the school foyer, looking for witnesses to the conversation.

"You need to be quiet."

"Endless letters he sent you, endless. It used to drive me nuts how sad he would get every single time he wrote one of those to you."

Her face was red, more than red, he was worried for a moment that she was going to have blood vessels pop and they would end up needing assistance from the nurse which would require an explanation and there was nothing that was happening right now that he wanted to explain to anyone.

"How do you know about the-" he started, surprised. Her eyes were glistening and he realized abruptly and too late that she was going to cry.

_Oh hell no._

Grabbing her arm he dragged her outside, pulling her despite her hissing dislike to the side of the building into the shadows.

"So you are in touch with that stupid dobe." he growled as she ripped her arm from his grip angrily. Hinata's chest heaved with great big gulps of air, the tears streaming down her face in a torrent that he felt was a little exaggerated for the situation. The Hyuuga had always been a little unstable.

"What are you talking about?" She whispered, shaking her head.

"You said you didn't have anyone to tell about me being here, and yet Naruto told you about those letters so-"

"Told me?" she looked incredulous. "I'm his wife, I watched him write them."

Sasuke stopped, his eyes actually widening. Not a lot of things got his eyebrows to go up but that statement did.

"You said I didn't know your husband."

Hinata was panting now, her chest rising and falling in fast angry bursts. "I did not say that."

"I asked you-"

"Naruto is dead."

What was it that Kiba had said...?

 _The universe has shifted on it's_ _axles_.

The wind was whispering through the coolness of the fall air as she said those words, ripping at the Japanese maple tree that stood shivering in the cold. The red leafs danced in it's grip as they fell to the earth. Something in his stomach clenched and unclenched so hard he was worried there was an actual hole in his torso and one hand went to his stomach to confirm he was still okay.

"What?"

"I'm his widow." she was sobbing now, her hand raised up and she wiggled her wedding ring in the afternoon light, making it sparkle. "He died three months ago."

The silence stretched out between them like a quickly widening void, threatening to eat them both. His brain had hit a brick wall and was having a hard time picking itself back up.

"Naruto isn't dead." he shook his head elegantly from side to side and Hinata's eyes hardened through her tears, her fists clenching at her sides. "I came all this way around the world to avoid talking about him." she let out a humorless little laugh followed by a sob.

Sasuke had stopped listening, in his mind he retraced the last three months, running over in his head if he had received any letters. There was a pile so big at his apartment entrance he had not even noticed. His eyes flickered to her again, studying her tired face, her tears stained cheeks.

"How... how did he-?"

Feeling more and more raw than she had in several weeks Hinata raised her chin at him with dislike. "L-l-like you care."

For a moment he nearly slapped her, grabbed her and shook her hard, his fingers twitched beside him but he stayed still, eyes trained on her face until she looked away, wiping the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand.

"He and my cousin were out for the night, just for a movie. But there was a rainstorm on the flats and they were heading back to get me and the..." she paused, frowning. "To get me."

Her words were carefully picked and Sasuke didn't interrupt. Inside him a familiar empty feeling was beginning to take hold. It had faded and become manageable before but now it almost giggled with glee as it began to devour him again.

"The bridge over the river was flooded over, but Neji was so panicked to get to me that he tried to drive through it."

Sasuke could see the bridge in his mind, the old idealistic white painted wood, the rusted metal. It was too low for how high the river could get now. He had thought that when he lived there over five years ago. He had been right.

"The car went in the river." he whispered, watching Hinata's eyes finally come back to his, softening a little as she spoke.

"Neji couldn't get his seat belt undone."

Sasuke closed his eyes against her expression, knowing how the rest of the story went.

"Naruto dove in after him. He got him loose, but there was debris in the water. They told me he was probably hit by something on the head. There were...wounds."

Voice hoarse he tried to speak and found he couldn't. The surprise was evident on both their faces and for a moment her pale eyes seemed to search his with something other than animosity in them.

"I'm sorry."

It was such a hollow word, like dumping a penny into a beggars hand.

"...a...arigato." The fire had gone out, she hung her head and hid her face in the long bangs and locks of ebony black hair. He studied her suddenly like a new thing. Everything was starting to piece together in his mind.

"Where did you leave the marking?" the question was so surprising that he had trouble following for a moment and remembering he had dumped it in the foyer at the sight of her tears he blinked. "It's... by the entrance."

"I'll have it back finished by Thursday." she murmured, walking back towards the school. For a second Sasuke went to reach for her to stop her and froze, withdrawing his hand before he could commit.

He didn't even say goodbye before turning around and heading back to his work, breathing in and out slowly to calm the sick feeling in his gut and the stinging in his eyes.

There was nothing else he could possibly say.

* * *

Kiba had asked him several times if he was okay and with jaw set Sasuke had replied gruffly, unsure even of what he had said. Eventually his friend had stopped asking, but his worried expression didn't leave his face whenever he looked at him.

Tsunade had even commented on his mood briefly, and being a less than cheerful person on a regular basis he wondered at how heavily he was telegraphing what was happening inside his chest. Although, truth be told all he could think about besides a car sinking beneath the rushing current of his hometown river was a bottle of vodka sitting in his freezer at home.

When he finally did get home, after untangling himself from the work that beckoned at his desk he didn't bother to take his shoes off but walked towards the kitchen dumping his briefcase and folders onto the counter as he went.

Loosening his tie he pulled out the vodka from the freezer popped the lid off aggressively and took one long painful swallow.

"Fuck." he whispered, wincing as he pulled back. Slowly he headed back down the hall, bottle in hand, kicking his shoes off as he went before settling himself against his front door, grabbing at a thick pile of letters that sat unopened on the little table beside the entrance. Gingerly he slid down the length of the wood and sat on his entrance mat, taking another swig of vodka before dumping the letters into his lap.

The slow meticulous work of sorting the letters by date began, straining his eyes in the half dark of his entryway he eyed the postage stamps for clues, arranging the letters on the floor in front of him carefully.

Naruto's crazy haphazard script with his name on the middle of the envelope covered all of the differing hues of white, yellowing as time began to show which were older.

"...fifty, fifty one, fifty two..." he mumbled, tossing the letters into their respective piles as the dates became more and more clear. "...fifty nine, sixty..."

He had purposefully ignored them when they showed, piling high on the shelf in his entry. Each time they came he had tossed them on the pile, as though they were junk mail although every time he tossed his junk mail the letters had remained.

"Sixty-seven." he whispered, coming to the end.

If he wrote once a month that meant there were five and a half years of letters on his entryway floor.

He took another sip of vodka, gripping the oldest of the bunch in his hand and contemplating how much fire they would give off if he burned them all.

Angrily he ripped open the paper, wondering if there was another bottle of vodka somewhere in the house.

"You stupid dobe."

* * *

The call in the morning had been unexpected. No one had her number and so scrambling off the bed she tripped over the discarded clothes on the floor and nearly smashed into the door frame.

"Oww..." She whispered, trying not to wake her sleeping babies in her bed again. Huffing lightly to get rid of the pain of her stubbed toe she scrambled through her apartment and grabbed her phone plugged in at the counter in the kitchen.

"Hello?" Instantly she winced. What was the proper way to say hello on the phone in Japanese again? It wasn't hello she knew that.

"Hyuuga-san, hello sorry to call you so early." Tsunade's voice called through the phone. "I was just wondering if there's any way you could come in, I realize it's your day off but..." and she sighed deeply, irritation coming through the speaker with each huff of air. "Uchiha-san has decided to call in sick today and I am unable to find another replacement for him. Inuzuka-san is already teaching several of his classes but cannot take the last three in the afternoon."

Hinata paused, assessing the information at lightening speed. Her eyes flickered to her sleeping babies in her room, shifting in their slumber and wincing at the thought of taking them to daycare on a day they were expecting to stay with her.

But she needed this job, just like she needed this whole move to work.

"Oh... uh...If it's just a couple of classes in the afternoon I think I can probably-"

"Excellent! Oh wonderful, thank you very much, Hyuuga-san. I haven't ever had to replace Uchiha-san he's never called in sick before!"

Hinata blinked, rubbing her face with one hand. "Oh...uh, that is odd then."

"Hai, I hope he's not really sick otherwise I don't know what I will do tomorrow, but alas, we will just make do with today. Thank you again, Hyuuga-san. i will see you in the afternoon."

"Hai, Tsunade-san, good bye."

A tiny hand tugged at her skirt gently making Hinata look down. Sora's big eyes looked up at her, blazing in their blue intensity.

"Mama, want food."

"Yes, darling." Hinata nodded, tucking the bit about Sasuke away in her mind to think about later. It was hard to ever focus on anything other than those brilliant blue eyes when they were fixed on her.

* * *

_...I wish you were here. I get so confused when Hinata-chan looks at me and can't even talk. I am absolutely sure she likes me as I think her sister blurted it out but when I tried to talk to her about it she actually fainted._

_Don't be a dick and pretend that it's funny okay it wasn't. I was terrified that I had killed her but thankfully the paramedics said she was fine._

_I sometimes wonder if you have found someone yourself. You never mentioned anyone before and sometimes I seriously wonder about your orientation but honestly if you did find someone I hope you're happy. I hope you tell me so I can congratulate you and warn the poor girl to get the hell away from you before she gets in too deep._

_Love you man,_

_Naruto_

Sasuke tossed the letter back onto the floor of his bedroom, looking up into the shifting light of the morning with hate. The brightness of the light was shooting pain into his eyes and for a moment he actually swore he would not drink ever again. Everything hurt, from the pounding of his optic nerve to the pulsing beat of his blood passing through his head and neck.

Another buzzing sound entered the stillness of his bare bedroom and as he glanced to the right he felt more agony shoot through his body, all of the mushy brain in his head seemed to slide inside his cranium as he shifted and looked at the offending phone buzzing on the pillow beside him.

Kiba again, his texts getting more and more concerned with each progressive message.

_Are you okay, Tsunade said you called in sick. Are you even able to get sick? I thought you were an android or something_

_Dude, are you in a hospital or just home?_

_Did you get in an accident? You didn't say you were not feeling well yesterday._

_If you don't answer me by the time I'm off work I'm coming over, I'll look up your address on your record of employment in the office, I swear_

_Uchiha, you better be bleeding out in your apartment you hear me, son of a bitch._

Curiously Sasuke studied the last message, feeling dimly as though through a fog the worry from his only friend.

"I guess you do care about me, you weirdo." he sighed, letting his arm drop across his face tiredly to block out the light.

Slowly he raised another letter from beside him on the bed to stare at it's scribbled face thoughtfully. Words swam in the haze of the yellowing paper. He had barely got through a years worth of the letters, each one had mundane aspects in it peppered sometimes with information he had not thought Naruto would care to share with someone he had not seen in so long.

_...pretty sure I'm going to marry this girl. I want you here for the wedding so badly but I don't even know if you're getting these letters. If you are seriously consider coming back for this. I haven't been this happy since before you left..._

Dropping the page he picked up another random crinkly bit of memory, gazing at it past the curve of his forearm on his face.

_...Had to ask Neji to be my best man. I hope that haunts you for the rest of your life you selfish prick. Hinata was commenting to me that she gets upset when I write these letters, I tried to explain that I had to but I couldn't figure out why. You're likely not getting them but I just hope if you ever do find out about them that you know I miss you every day._

_Not to sound too bromantic, but the only thing I am missing right now is having you around buddy. What if Hinata and I start having kids? How the hell are they supposed to be comfortable with their godfather if you're never here?_

_Okay I may be jumping the gun on that one. Hinata would likely be a little uncomfortable letting you have those kinds of rights when she doesn't really know you._

_Which, again is why you should at least come visit sometime. We have a spare room, in our tiny fixer upper of a house. And I don't know shit about what I'm doing fixing it. You were always the one with the tools and the know how..._

Sighing Sasuke let the page float down onto his chest, his hand raised up towards the ceiling, feeling each beat of his heart hammering away inside him like an endless metronome.

It would have been better for the world if the one who died had been him.


	4. Chapter 4

Hinata ran. She wasn't supposed to run, that was against the rules and trying to not be too loud in her heels she ignored the tiny hall monitor inside of herself and ran, struggling to stop as she approached the door to the class.

Pausing for a moment to rearrange her blouse, hair and grip on her files more firmly she took a deep breath, preparing for battle. And she opened the door.

Out the window she could see the wind snapping the branches of the skeletal fall trees. It was going to be a frigid day, her eyes lingered there for only a moment, noting with relief that whatever clouds had been heading their way were being blown quickly by. There would be no rain in the afternoon. Thankfully the class was in a free work period and students were meandering all over the class chatting, laughing. A handful of them by the door turned briefly to eye her as she came in but the disruption was minimal.

At the desk at the front Sasuke turned his eyes to her, ebony meeting gray with clear dislike.

Swallowing painfully Hinata walked over, lowering the marking she was supposed to have done already to the desk in front of him. "I have half of this class done." she began by way of hello, watching out of the corner of her eye as he studied her with absolutely no sense of embarrassment.

"You're late again."

"I apologize, I will skip lunch to finish the marking by the end of the day."

"I need you here on time."

They were whispering, since the class full of students was all trying not too look to obvious as they watched.

"I will be more punctual in the future." Hinata replied softly, splitting the files in her hands and handing him the marked ones. Sasuke stared at her for a moment before accepting them. "Will that be all? I am required in Inuzuka-san's class momentarily."

Irritated Sasuke stood, putting a hand to her elbow gently to draw her in, his cheek coming in line with her own.

"If working here is so difficult that you can't get here on time, perhaps you should do us both a favor and reconsider. I hear English tutoring has much more flexible hours and maybe would be more up your alley."

Hinata let her eyes slide to the students in the class, catching a pair of jade green eyes fixed on her and Sasuke with the same precision and force of a missile. Feeling her cheeks flare with heat she pulled back a little and found his gentle grip on her elbow became more firm.

Pulling a little roughly away from him Hinata fixed him with a dark look despite her blushing face. "May I speak with you in the hallway, Uchiha-san?"

Before he could reply she was heading out the door, taking slow measured steps, opening sliding the door carefully so as to not slam it with her irritation.

Frowning Sasuke stepped out after her, closing the door with the sharp smack of frustration she had been trying to avoid.

"You cannot have these discussions with me in a classroom." Hinata forced her stutter down, her anger lending her tongue a reprieve. "I am their sensei, they cannot see you treating me like this."

"I need you on time, they need to see a sensei show up like a responsible adult when they are supposed to."

Eyes tightening into slits Hinata bit her lip hard, and for a moment he felt his eyes drawn to the soft pink of the skin there.

"I have been covering a lot of your classes, Uchiha-san. I am not a full time teacher for a reason, it has been difficult, perhaps if I wasn't carrying so much of your work load right now I would not be struggling so much to keep up."

Sasuke ripped his eyes from her mouth, glaring into her pale gaze with distaste. Sure, he had been calling in a lot lately, at least once a week since the term began. But he was well aware whose fault that was. Drinking had suddenly taken a new role in his life, it was the thing he ate for dinner, it was his midnight snack and sometimes just to stave off the feeling that the letters in his apartment were consuming him it was his breakfast. He couldn't come in on those days, it just wasn't possible.

But he had not been aware they had been giving all his missed classes to her.

"If you think I owe you a favor you're mistaken."

"If you stop speaking to me unless you absolutely have to I think I may call it even." the spiteful little sentence escaped her before she had thought it through and as it left her mouth she sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead to hide her face from him.

Why was he so capable of drawing out the worst in her? Every single day.

"That must have felt good to say." Sasuke scoffed. "How long have you been holding back that little gem?"

Feeling a growl building in her throat Hinata lowered her hands, clenching them hard in front of her. "I need this job, I cannot move again." Images of Haku's tantrum at daycare flashed through her eyes, the desperation in his gaze had made her cry, his death grip on her hands had made her sob. The teachers were adamant that consistency was key, they would get past this.

She couldn't move them again, she couldn't uproot and restart when they had barely given this a chance. Fixing her eyes once more on Sasuke's face she clenched her jaw.

"I just figured you would have an easier time of it in a job where the expectations were not so high." He threw back. "If doing a real teachers job for one day a week gives you leave to show up late maybe you're not a real teacher."

With a sharp intake of breath, Hinata stepped up into his personal space, her face inches from his own as she glared straight into him. Indirectly without even knowing it he was putting her babies at risk. Thoughts of quitting were rolling through her head every day and it always had to do with him, his vicious comments and his blase irritable expression. Her children needed her to have this job, and she'd be damned if some cocky depressed baka was going to make her rip them from their new home just as they settled. No way.

" _You_ obviously have a hard time with my presence, Uchiha-san. But I need this job, so if _you_ want to get away from me, then I suggest _you_ quit."

Trembling and extremely pink in the face she turned, heading down the hall to Kiba's class, missing the look of surprise as he tried to slow the staccato beat of his heart with deep breaths, noting that just like Naruto had said in his last letter...she really did smell like lavender.

* * *

_The knock on the door had sounded very far away. It started out so polite, just a little tap tap tap on the wood, and then Sasuke realized it had increased from soft and concerned to-_

_"You arrogant, self centered, lonely bastard! Open the door!" Kiba's voice rang through his home for the first time and in his current state Sasuke wondered if he would be able to get to the door just to get him to stop making such a racket._

_Breathing deep he had gathered all of his strength and moved forward, struggling with each step, feeling the smack of a wall on his shoulder as he bounced from surface to surface down the hall, tripping on the mountain of letters in the way._

_Slowly he struggled with the lock, and then pulled the door open, pushing the letters aside, the tide of memories and hurts whispering as they brushed against each other._

_"Good thing you opened the door." Kiba grinned at him, leaning against the door frame. "I was going to start yelling loudly about how I loved you, and that would have reduced your chances of getting laid by a hot neighbor down to zero."_

_"Your voice is very irritating." Sasuke replied, noting that his own voice wasn't exactly his cup of tea at the moment either. "Go away."_

_"Shut up." Kiba grumbled, pushing past him, tripping over the stacks of letters on the floor. "What the hell?"_

_Unsure of how to manhandle Kiba out of his apartment in his migraine induced state Sasuke sighed and started back to his room pondering if he was going to need to throw up again._

_"What is all this?" Kiba shouted after him, making Sasuke wince._

_"Garbage." He replied quietly, reaching his bathroom just in time to puke into the toilet._

_Kiba was quiet for a moment, and after heaving for a bit Sasuke could hear the sound of paper being handled._

_"These are all addressed to you... Naruto Uzumaki?"_

_A very pregnant pause followed. "You ARE gay!"_

_"Inuzuka, you have never been so close to dying as you are right now, tread carefully." Heaving had cleared his head momentarily even if the pain in his head and neck had intensified with the struggle. Slowly he walked back into the hall, stumbling over empty bottles of liquor on the floor._

_Kiba's face had changed, his hands holding a letter open, startled._

_"You have a friend." He whispered, as if it was a new fantastical revelation. Sasuke didn't reply, crawling into bed without comment and turning off the blazing shards of light coming from the light bulb._

_Walking slowly, taking note of the letters that covered like ugly square petals all of the hall floor and into Sasuke's room he stopped, watching his friend cocooning into his blankets._

_"This letter is from nearly five years ago, Uchiha." He said more softly, picking up a half empty vodka bottle by his door and staring at it. "Who is this guy?"_

_"He's an idiot."_

_"Is this why you've been away from work the last two days?"_

_Sasuke paused beneath the covers, staring into the dark in surprise. Yes, it was. These stupid letters, and that stupid woman with her stupid news._

_"No." He lied. "I have the flu."_

_"You know I may not have your IQ." Kiba called as he dumped three half empty bottles into his sink. "But I'm not blind. What you have is the nastiest hangover I've ever seen."_

_"Thank you, doctor Inuzuka. Now go away."_

_"Sasuke."_

_Surprised by the sound of his name on Kiba's lips he frowned. "Don't call me that."_

_"You need to tell me what happened. I'm looking at dialing an insane asylum at this point." Kiba looked down at the chicken scratch across the letter's face in his hand. Or maybe not an asylum but at least rehab._

_"He's from...we grew up together." Sasuke finally conceded, wondering why he was allowing the words to come out of his mouth. "In the same tiny bit of shit for a town."_

_"Oh." Kiba supplied, surprised. He had thought that Sasuke had always lived in their city and was staring at the letter again with more interest._

_"He died. I just found out."_

_Slowly the pieces of the puzzle were coming together and Kiba blinked, looking around at the chaos in the house that appeared to usually be quite tidy. There were no decorations on the walls or pictures in frames but there were no dishes in the sink either, and the books were all neatly stacked in shelves, no laundry or garbage besides the liquor bottles on the ground anywhere._

_This was mourning, this was grief._

_"He sent you all these letters?"_

_"I never opened one." Sasuke whispered. "Not until after I found out."_

_Letting his shoulders droop a little Kiba sighed, starting the work of gathering up the discarded piles slowly. "You can't do that, Uchiha. You can't just sit here and read them all at once like that. I'd be drinking myself into the hospital too."_

_Irritated by being told off Sasuke sat up, frowning at the young man with venom. "You don't know anything about this."_

_"Don't be daft, everyone's got losses. It's not like you're the only person in my life, baka." he grumbled, straightening the letters in his grip without looking at him._

_Pausing to absorb what he just said Sasuke stared. "What?"_

_"My best friend, Shino. Unlike you I was good to him." Kiba grinned without humor at Sasuke. "I had known him since we were five. We didn't last long though, he was gone by the time we turned 12."_

_Caught for once in their relationship without words Sasuke continued to stare, startled._

_"Cancer of some sort. He used to laugh about it, at the hospital. He used to say he felt like he was full of bugs." His voice had begun to get soft and Sasuke swallowed, hearing something familiar in his tone._

_"Torturing yourself like this, if you have to do it, take it slow." he shrugged, dumping a pile of the letters into an empty gin box by Sasuke's bathroom door. "Do one a day. You'll probably drink yourself stupid just on that."_

_Sasuke kept looking at him, studying him like he was a new undiscovered thing._

_"_ Anyway _." he laughed awkwardly at the silence. "I think you need to sober up so I'm going to order something greasy. Go have a shower or something, you stink."_

_As Kiba pulled the phone out of his pocket to dial for take out Sasuke stepped into the hall, face lowered away from him._

_"A...arigato, Kiba."_

_"Get away from me." Kiba wrinkled his nose. "You smell worse than a bar bathroom."_

_Smirking for the first time in two days Sasuke turned away and went to do as he was told._

Staring at the letter of the day in the teachers lounge Sasuke sighed. Kiba had unceremoniously taken the letters and sorted them for him while they ate, stacking them by date into the empty gin box and throwing it in his bedroom closet with an air of finality.

_"These are for the next two weeks. One a day, until they're done."_

Idly he let the envelope tap on the desk over and over, staring at the name on the corner with a twist of his intestines within him.

"Stupid, stupid dobe."

Kiba had been right. Reading one a day had wrecked him in a way he had not anticipated. The thought of opening another letter was only tempting to him when he was sober enough to recognize his masochism, and so he drank, knowing that if he read more than one he probably would be drinking himself right to the grave.

The room was empty and quiet for the first time in a while. All of the other staff members were busy. Upstairs he knew Hinata was sitting in on Kiba's class, getting up to speed on the student's and their progression.

Somehow it felt wrong to be opening a letter written by her husband while she was in the building, but he was going to have to stay very late, and if he drank when he read this one he was going to end up calling in sick again.

And clearly that wasn't okay to do anymore since Hinata made it so clear it was a problem. He didn't like owing people anything and at this point he had grudgingly admitted to himself that he would have been exacting some sort of favor back from her if the roles were reversed.

"Ugh." he sighed, tearing the envelope, almost to spite her although he knew she had no idea. Grumpily he flipped the pages open on his desk and began stared at them for a second, contemplating.

"Okay, Naruto...what now?"

_Sasuke-teme,_

_It's Christmas. You know how it snows here at Christmas, and honestly I don't know how you could miss it. I sometimes think about the epic snowball fights that we had as kids and I wish I knew where you were so we could chat about it. I was telling Hinata about it today and I had her giggling._

_Remember that time that you hit me so hard with the snowball that you knocked me out? You were always a son of a bitch in a fight. I was explaining to Hinata that we could communicate just by looking at each other and she didn't seem to understand. I wish so much that she had had a friend like I did. You know how Konoha shit goes down. She didn't fit the mold so she never really made a lot of good friendships._

_I want you to meet her, really meet her. I think she would probably be terrified of you at first because let's be honest you're kind of a dick sometimes- it's that socially awkward thing you have going on. If you were ugly I think people would find it less charming, so take it under advisement that if you ever get into a nasty disfiguring accident you should probably become the nicest person in the planet. Just saying._

_I don't know why it bothers me that she hasn't met you. I actually feel it whenever we have friends over, which happens a lot around the holidays. I look around and sometimes realize I'm looking for you in the crowd at my house._

_Hinata is becoming such a huge aspect of who I am and I guess I'm scared that when you come back I won't be like the old me and you won't be okay with it._

_There's something about her that softens things, and I wonder if maybe she would have had the same effect on you if you were here. Not that I needed softening, I'm perfect, as you well know._

_But I've noticed lately that her douchebag of a cousin and even her irritating sister have kind of got this thing where when they're around Hinata they become less of a waste of space and even pleasant to be around._

_Maybe she would make you tolerable?_

_I don't know how to express to you how she's affected me. It's not something that is easily put into words. I'm home right now and the house just feels mine and yet I would never have been able to do what she did with it. She's painted and sanded and I had no idea she knew how to fix things but she does. The house is old- remember that old property on the flats? We always said the next big storm would knock it over? Yeah that one, we bought it. Like morons we put all our savings into it and if it weren't for Hinata's work it would have probably fallen over just from us being in it._

_I think, if she had been around with me when things went south with you, you wouldn't have left. When she smiles I honestly feel like things can't possibly be bad, not in that moment._

_Sorry, I'm getting mushy and I know how emotionally constipated you are._

_I love her though, Sasuke. I do. I wish so much you knew her. Where are you, teme?_

_When will you come home?_

Stomach clenching uncomfortably Sasuke put the letter down, unable to read anymore. The Hinata he was speaking of sounded so foreign. Thinking of the girl who was one floor up in his friend's classroom he frowned, trying to overlap the two creatures with the same name.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about." he murmured, glancing over the page he had been able to read, aching for something painful to drink.

A moment fluttered through his mind, of Hinata's angry tear stained eyes fixed on his face, biting her pink lip hard as she stepped into bubble of his person, the scent of lavender and tears lingering in her hair.

Frowning he closed his eyes, letting the half finished letter drop to his desk.

* * *

Sitting in the coolness of the coming winter Hinata nestled into her jacket, hands shoved deep into her pockets and her face half hidden by the tall purple scarf wrapped around her neck. Pale gray eyes followed the two shapes of her children tumbling through the playground, skipping along on the soft squishy ground to climb up the ladders with cries of delight.

Behind her she could feel the sun's last rays as they caressed her back, lending their dying heat to her stiff shoulders.

The meeting with the principal at the preschool had not gone as she had hoped. The tender kind face of the older woman had been gentle as she spoke about the issues her children were having with adjusting, her hand had lingered on her arm with compassion, expressing concern over Haku's refusal to learn any more words in Japanese besides Oka-san and Otou-san.

And Sora.

Hinata's eyes lingered on her three year old, watching her fat little baby legs straining to reach up onto the first ledge of the playground.

_"Sora-chan's spirit is indomitable, she tells us she wishes she could fly. She has been climbing to the top of the highest available surface with the express goal of jumping off. We're worried about her safety, and would appreciate if you could re-enforce at home how dangerous her actions have been."_

Terrified Hinata had began the conversation with Sora on the way home, inquiring what was making her so determined to fly.

With the sun at their front Sora's eyes had blazed like the heart of a fire, her blonde hair tousled as she held on to her mom's hand tightly, jaw set into a stubborn toddler scowl.

"I want to fly up."

"Demo...Sora, if you jump off things you could hurt youself and-"

"You said daddy was in heaven, daddy is in the sky."

A deep breath to steady her seizing painful heart and Hinata stopped, watching as the cold pink tip of her toddlers nose turned red from the bite of the coming winter and her tear filled eyes.

"Oh Sora..."

"If I fly..."

"Oh Sora... baby no... it doesn't... it doesn't work that way..."

"Sora! Let's go! Come on!" Haku had interjected suddenly, dragging his sister by the hand into the fray of the playground they were coming to, and with her tears marring her vision Hinata had not had the heart to say no.

So there she sat, on the bench in the cold, shivering and less from the cold, more from the pain knifing through her insides.

_Naruto... I don't know how to do this..._

Eyes brimming with tears she buried herself deeper into her scarf, clenching her hands into painful fists inside her jacket pockets until the bite of her nails on her palm hurt.

_How am I ever going to do this properly on my own?_

* * *

"I happen to think she's great." Kiba grumbled, actually irritated for the first time in a long time with the arrogant man standing before him as they sorted books for their classes in the school library. A little more forcefully than he needed to he shoved a handful onto the shelf.

"I don't get why you're being such an ass about it."

Sasuke didn't reply right away, equally bothered by the stance that Kiba had decided to take in response to his comments on Hinata.

It was odd, in the first place that he was even thinking about Hinata at all. He had never before complained about any of the Assistant Language Teachers. He had mercilessly bullied them to their face but when asked how they were doing his reply had been brief and lacking in spectacular insights.

"Fine." Had been his choice of report.

Making the mistake of asking how she was working out for him Kiba had learned this would not be a routine report from the Uchiha, it would be anything but.

"She should be fired. She's late, she's insubordinate, she has no presence in the classroom, half the work I ask her to get done isn't done because she's always late."

Kiba rolled his eyes behind Sasuke's back at his little speech. "She's working more than full time because of your current lack of motivation on Mondays, don't be stupid."

Genuinely annoyed Sasuke turned to look at him. "You just want to get in her pants."

For a moment Inuzuka just looked at him, jaw tight.

Finding himself continuing as a result of Kiba's lack of response Sasuke pressed on. "Which is sad, considering that she's a little bit of a waif with literally nothing interesting about her. She looks like she hasn't slept in days most of the time. I thought you had higher standards."

"Are you done?" Kiba grunted, chucking the last batch of books on the shelf so hard the sound echoed in the stillness of the empty library.

Sasuke paused, aware suddenly that he was feeling more and more like punching something.

"For the moment."

"Good, I'm going. You can finish that shit up yourself." his friend muttered, grabbing his coat off the back of one of the library chairs. "I'm done listening to your bull."

Incredulous Sasuke followed him with his eyes, frowning. "I'm not doing the sorting for your class."

"Fine, just ask Hyuuga-san to do it." Kiba snapped, throwing his bag over his shoulder and starting towards the doors. Jaw clenching Sasuke scoffed. "Ask her yourself, it's another excuse to talk to her."

Shaking his **head** Kiba paused with his back to him at the door, hand on the handle. "You never give a damn one way or the other about anyone, Uchiha. And now you're ranting about the one girl who doesn't give a shit about you?"

He glanced back, meeting dark ebony eyes with chocolate colored irises of his own. "You aren't taking the rejection as well as you thought you would. Clearly. Even though she's married."

To keep himself from gaping Sasuke turned away, picking up another book. "You're delusional."

The sound of the door opening and closing quietly made him glance back, realizing Kiba had not even bothered to reply to his retort. This was both unexpected and unmapped territory. Teasing him about girls was part of Kiba's repetoire as his friend, but now that he thought about it Sasuke couldn't remember a time when the banter had gone from him to Kiba, and he realized, perhaps if it had been banter then maybe he wouldn't have reacted like he did. Nothing about his tone or choice of words had exactly screamed joke.

Feeling suddenly very tired he sat down, placing his head in his hands for a moment, eyes closed. In his back pocket he could feel the letter he had not finished earlier in the day burning a hole through his clothes.

"Fuck." He whispered, pulling the item out and throwing it on the table with distaste. With furtive angry hands he ripped the pages out of the envelope again, flipping through them until he got to the place he had last left off.

Like cutting, like drinking, like removing himself from everyone's life reading these things had become a dirty habit. Swallowing he began to read again, feeling the first nervous shake of his hands from his lack of liquor and the deep desire that made his molecules hurt.


	5. Chapter 5

The snow came with force, one night it was fall, with a chill in the air and the wind kicking up dry leaves and garbage on the streets and the next day the stillness of winter had come over them.

Wide eyed Hinata swallowed as she looked out the window of her bedroom, blinking rapidly to process the long frozen spirals of ice that clung to the little bit of roof sticking out over the window frame to buffer some of the wind.

Several inches thick on the porch against the glass sliding doors told her she was going to have issues getting herself and the kids to daycare on time. Outside and even in the building usually bustling with sounds of morning breakfasts and hurried see-you-laters there was a stillness only first snow can bring.

Even her own kids were sleeping in late. Glancing at the clock Hinata hesitated between waking them up and having them get overly excited at the sight of the snow or setting up breakfast and their clothes and lunches out ready to go before bothering to get them awake.

Hesitating at the door of her bedroom she gazed at the two sprawled little bodies covering a much larger portion of her futon than they really ought to have been. Sighing deeply she moved forward, settling down beside Haku, watching his sleepy baby face taking deep slow breaths. The shape of his chin and the way that his cheeks pulled back in a smile always looked so much like Naruto. Even in his sleep in his most relaxed state she could see her husbands features peeking out.

On the first morning of their marriage Hinata had watched him sleep, studying the way he sighed deeply, the way his lashes rested over the curve of his cheek, the way his hair got mussed only on the left side. Until one eye had peeked at her with mischief and a grin had spread over his face, making her turn a thousand degrees warmer than was natural.

_"Were you watching me sleep, Hina-chan?"_

_"I-I- n-no!"_

_"Don't lie! You are the worst liar!"_

He had thrown the blanket over her and covered her in kisses, pressing her to the bed with his weight, making her breath come in gasps as his lips lingered down her neck, to her collar bone, making her sigh out his name.

Setting her jaw tightly against the memory Hinata reached out to run her hand through Haku's dark hair, playing with the silk strands gently before frowning.

He was hot. Very hot. Noting suddenly the redness of his pale cheeks she leaned down, pressing her forehead to his.

"Oh no, Haku-kun..." she whispered, pulling back with worry.

That was a fever, it was a fever for sure. Blearily one of Haku's blue eyes opened and a flash of memory hit her like a lightening bolt, Naruto looked at her sleepily from the bed for a second and then morphed once more into her tiny upset son.

"Oka-san..." he whimpered, closing his eyes against the light. "My throat hurts."

"Don't worry, baby." She murmured, her brain frazzled for a moment. "I'll get you some medicine, okay?"

"Okay."

Quietly she moved around the futon to the other side where Sora lay snoring, her cheeks pink, her nose whistling as she breathed.

_Oh no, not a cold!_

Squaring her shoulders she moved to the kitchen, glad that the first thing she had done was stock up on painkillers and snacks the kids liked when sick upon arrival into their new home.

But work would simply not be happening today...

Wincing she looked at her phone plugged in at the counter on the kitchen, it's innocent face beckoning for her to pick it up and dial.

Sasuke was going to have a fit. She had chewed him out two weeks ago over this very thing and he had not been speaking to her at all since then, the most she could get out of him when they were alone was a gruff irritable "Hn."

Clenching her jaw she picked up the device and began to dial Tsunade. As the ringing continued a bothered uncharacteristic little thought bloomed, making her blush despite being alone.

_I hope this bugs you. That way you'll know how it feels._

"Tsunade-san...Hello... I have some bad news..."

* * *

"You're going to tell me she's not being unprofessional?" He frowned at Kiba, so irritated he could hardly believe it. Kiba frowned back but didn't reply right away. Breathing in hard through his nose he clicked on something on his laptop, glancing at the other teachers down from them on the other side of the long room talking quietly among themselves.

"I think you need to look at your own sick calls before you start pointing fingers, Uchiha."

"She's doing it on purpose. We had... a disagreement... recently about her coming in late all the time and she threw it in my face."

Kiba smirked involuntarily, the thought of someone throwing anything in Sasuke's face always had that kind of effect on his mood.

Glaring at him pointedly Sasuke slammed his work binder closed. "And that stupid Haruno girl just will not let up. At least when Hyuuga-san is here I can tell her to go ask her whatever it is she needs, but when she's gone..."

"She's still at it?" Kiba frowned, looking back at him worriedly. This particular student was showing a complete lack of restraint. The others were in a mob mentality about Sasuke, going so far as to starting a fan club they dubbed Sensei-Fest. It was unofficial, not approved by the school and as per what Kiba had overheard in the hall from some of the irritated male students it had a following of nearly half the female students.

But none of them were quite as forward as Haruno Sakura.

"Never stopped, I just happened to be able to not deal with it for a bit when Hinata-" he paused, surprised when her name came tumbling out of his mouth. "Hyuuga-san, I mean, is in the class."

Kiba's eyebrows had gone up at Hinata's name and had yet to come down. "Hinata?" he blinked. "You're on a first name basis now?"

"No." Sasuke sulked, looking for something on his desk to block his friend's face from his line of vision. "Just a mistake." reading Naruto's letters was getting him confused. Hearing her name over and over was blurring lines he didn't realize could even be blurred. Irritated he jabbed the on button on his lap top.

"A mistake?"

"Yes, look I have a lot to do right now since Hyuuga-san didn't bother to show up again today, that's three days in a row now."

"Two, she's only part time, one of them was her day off."

"Ugh, please be quiet and just marry her already." Sasuke growled, propping up his own laptop with more fierceness than was necessary. Kiba leaned back in his chair, chewing on his lip for a second and contemplating.

"Now... either you're trying to wean off some of the liquor and it's got you particularly grumpy, or you actually think she's doing this to get back to you. But honestly, I have been working with the girl too and I feel like the only vindictive bone in her body was probably broken early in her life."

Surprised once more by Kiba's insight Sasuke typed furiously into his computer, trying to figure out how to phrase the new incident he had had with Haruno in his classroom that day before sending it to Tsunade to evaluate.

"...I may be trying to cut back a bit, yes. But I still do think that she's being a brat just to spite me. She may be polite and friendly to you, but-'

"Well, I am polite and friendly to her, it usually helps with the whole building relationships thing."

"Whatever."

Kiba sat up, peeking his eyes over Sasuke's computer screen in half moon smiles.

"But, besides the fact that you're a jerk, I'm glad you're trying to cut back a bit. I noticed you haven't called in sick at all in two weeks."

Sasuke didn't reply, pretending to be focused on the email he was trying to pen for the principal. He had had to cut back it wasn't really an option. He wasn't about to let himself get more indebted to that woman if he could help it.

Although it was costing him a small fortune in booze. He simply could not go the entire 24 hours of a day without a drink, so the bottle would be opened in the evening, and halfway through he would force himself to his feet, pouring the contents down the drain in his sink with a desperate painful feeling in his gut.

"Have you still been reading those letters?" Kiba had sat back down and his voice drifted over the blockade of computer between himself and the Uchiha, allowing Sasuke the freedom to wince in the open at his question.

"...sometimes." He mustered.

The truth was that most of them had been ripped open and one or maybe half of one page would get read and as Naruto's voice began to sound in his head he would drop it like it was made of lead. The paper would float and land with an echoing thump in his brain. The rest of the night he would spend convincing himself not to go to the liquor store for more to drink, and he would fall into a fitful painful sleep that left him more tired than before.

"Well, there's no rush." Kiba supplied calmly giving a loud yawn.

Sasuke sighed, feeling less and less like typing out an email about Haruno Sakura asking him again if there was any way he could tutor her privately.

"Uchiha."

Snapped out of his thoughts Sasuke turned, frowning as Tsunade walked over to them briskly, looking down at some files in her arms. The click of her heels on the hard floor always made his stomach tighten. Although his reports of inappropriate behavior had gone down since Hinata's arrival he had not exactly received a congratulations from the principal. If anything there had been a soundless void where he wasn't sure if he was going to get chewed out for calling in sick or fired for having too many teen girls fall in "love" with him.

"Tsunade-san." He drawled lazily, leaning back in his chair as she approached.

"I am here to drop off some tests that Hyuuga-san sent by courier to the office. It would appear you asked her to prep them for tomorrow."

"Oh no, is she not coming in again?" Kiba asked, just the slightest bit of teasing in his voice as he glanced at Sasuke who had closed his eyes against the immaturity and irritation ahead of time.

"No. She sounds pretty sure that she will be back next week, but I'm don't know. She did sound rather tired." Tsunade sighed, rubbing her face before turning to Sasuke with a frown that could level mountains.

"You've been calling in sick an awful lot too. What's going on? I hope you're not out partying."

"No, actually." Sasuke replied, glad to have some semblance of truth to use in his reply. "I am going to the doctor next week if it continues to be a problem, Tsunade-san. I can give you more information on what's happening then."

"Well, I hope you can handle the English Class alone tomorrow, hopefully the weekend is all she needs to get better and we can get back to normal. I am tired of figuring out substitutes for everyone." She waved her hand in the air to bat away the invisible problems before heading back the way she came.

"Good night!"

"Good night!" Kiba called back.

"Damnit." Sasuke growled, turning back around and shutting his lap top abruptly.

Inuzuka didn't even bother to look at him, turning back to his computer as Sasuke ripped his from the desk and began to pack up angrily.

"You're going to get an ulcer." He commented drily.

"Shut up."

"You going home then?"

"No."

"Don't go to a bar, okay?" Kiba looked up finally, frowning. "You're doing better, despite your current tantrum."

"Please shut up, Inuzuka."

"You first."

"Ugh." Sasuke muttered throwing his bag over his shoulder.

"See you tomorrow!" Kiba called cheerily. Without turning around Sasuke flipped him the finger and headed out the door.

"What a ray of sunshine." his friend grumbled, turning back to his work.

* * *

They had had no visitors. It had been months now, arriving in September and now nearing end of November the idea of having visitors was so foreign that when the a knock sounded on the door she stared.

Haku and Sora had finally gone to sleep, their little sniffly noses red from constant blowing. More than once Sora had begged for her daddy who would lay with her in her bed when she was ill at home, running his fingers slowly up and down her arm until she drifted off to sleep. It didn't matter how much Hinata tried to calm her, the toddler had screamed and cried until she had fallen asleep from exhaustion.

Now in the stillness of the evening after gathering their toys into their respective boxes on the shelves and getting herself a cup of tea Hinata lay with her head on the table, eyes closed, trying not to think about the things Naruto's fingers had done to her skin too.

There was the knocking again, more firm and impatient than the first time she had thought she heard it.

_I'm actually not imagining it._

Slowly she stood, tripping over one of the kids shoes as she got to the door. Sleepily she opened the door and blinked, resisting the monumental urge to slam it closed at the sight of his face on the other side.

"Hyuuga." Sasuke snapped, putting his shoulder firmly in the door frame. Hinata stared at it for a moment as though it was the most offensive thing she had ever seen in her life.

"What are you doing here?" She blinked. "How do you even know where I live?"

For a moment fear gripped her and she wondered how hard she would have to slam the door to break the collarbone peeking from beneath his black shirt.

Ignoring her question Sasuke glared. "So you're sick, hm?"

Hinata turned her gaze back to him and flushed crimson. "That's none of your business."

"If you think I'm going to be picking up your slack just because you're annoyed you had to take my classes-" he began and watched as the confusion lit over her face like a fire. "What? What are you talking about?"

Feeling suddenly like maybe he was demented he stopped.

"I need to go, see you on Monday, Uchiha-san." Hinata shook her head in confusion at him, moving to close the door only to have him push in further, making something sharp shoot through her stomach again.

"I was fine until you showed up, you know?" He was talking fast, as though the words were scared to jump off his tongue but once one did it the others followed blindly.

"I'm sure you were."

"I was, I had made sure I was, I did what I had to do and Naruto didn't understand that."

Hearing his name on Sasuke's lips made Hinata's teeth hurt. Wincing visibly she lowered her face into her hands. "You know what? Sure, you're right. Everything you say is correct. Please, please..." whimpering now in her tiredness she shook her head. "Please just..."

"Mama?"

Freezing Hinata looked up, eyes wide as she stared into Sasuke's equally stunned gaze.

"Mama?"

Slowly Hinata turned, her shoulders stiff, breath caught in her throat.

In the hall Sora stood, blue eyes studying her and the man at the door with wide curiosity.

"Ohaiyo." She whispered, and Sasuke felt himself take a step back, blinking rapidly. His friends eyes gazed at him from the tiny delicate face, Naruto's blonde hair stood on end around the chubby toddler cheeks.

"You..." He began slowly, startled. "You have..."

A cry from the bedroom made Hinata jump. "Haku..." torn, she glanced back at Sasuke for half a second and stepped into the hall, leaving the door open.

On the way she scooped up Sora and walked into the soft light of her home, kicking a toy out of the hall as she went.

Suddenly he could see her clearly. Opening the door to the apartment she had had little finger print stains of peanut butter on the shoulder of her green t-shirt. Her jeans had purple felt marker on the leg, her hair was up in a mess of a bun and her eyes were tired and tear filled.

The whimpering cries from the bedroom down the hall continued and for a second Sasuke took a step away from the door, a shame washing over him so forcefully that the only thing he could really think of was the liquor store down the street.

Before he could take another step Hinata came back out of the room, the little girl in her arms chewing on something sticky and sweet before she settled her in front of the TV, turning it on without even looking.

Jaw set she walked back down the hall to where he stood like a statue, watching this moment as though it were happening to someone else.

"I need your help."

He didn't move, his eyes watching her face and the way she refused to meet his gaze, biting her lip again hard, turning the skin of her mouth a bright delicious pink.

"Haku is sick."

"Haku." He whispered, eyes flickering behind her, searching.

"He's our-my son." Hinata whispered, astounded that she was having this conversation. "I think he needs antibiotics but I can't... I can't take him out like this so late. Can you stay...there's a pharmacy down the road-"

"I'll go...I'll..." He was stuttering for the first time in his life and the sound alone made her look up in surprise at him. "What?"

"I'll go get what... what does he need?"

Hinata shook her head. "No, I just... need someone in the room so if there's a fire or something they don't die- I can go get it-"

"I can't..." he searched her face, and she stared, seeing for the first time ever something other than disdain on his features. Terror? Pain? She traced the line of his lips with her eyes and moved back to his startled black eyes.

"O...okay... he has an ear infection, there's...drops, for that. He's four, so it has to be age appropriate- i don't know brands here but, the pharmacists should know."

Without another word Sasuke turned down the hall.

Hinata blinked after him, one hand on the door frame where his shoulder had pressed so aggressively before.

_What just happened?_

_Just walk, Uchiha. Just walk._

The lights of the shops still open flickered in the dark of the night, and reflected off the snow. The slush was plentiful and within a few minutes he remembered again that he had in fact worn the wrong shoes for the day.

Ignoring the biting cold of the snow wetting his feet he glanced down the street and past the heads of the chattering crowds making their breath fog up the dark night.

Down a few shop fronts was the blazing red and blue of a pharmacy, and one before it was the liquor store.

He stopped, breathing deep, picturing again the little girl with the blue eyes he recognized, her blonde hair was as familiar as his own.

Shaking he started the trek down the street, his feet carrying him numbly forward until the glare of the liquor store sign spread over half his face and breathing deep he stumbled past it into the pharmacy.

He wasn't about to go buy medicine for a little boy with a bottle of gin tucked under his arm. Even if he really really wanted -no- needed one.

The glare of the lights in the pharmacy made him blink and licking his lips he walked down the aisles numbly, wondering what the hell he was even doing.

The woman at the counter watched him curiously, big eyes consuming her face with care. It wasn't unfamiliar, that stare. He had had it happen all his life, it was almost one of disbelief, although he could never quite figure out what it was they couldn't wrap their heads around.

"...ano, sir... May I help you?" she finally called softly, eyes trained on him despite the fact there were two other customers in the store.

"No..." he began and then sighed, turning around in the aisle and seeing endless bottles of things he had never even known existed before.

"Actually." He grumbled walking up to her.

"I need ear drops?" He sounded unsure, biting his cheek for a second he continued. "For a four year old boy, antibiotics, I think."

Her eyes searched his face with the same wide eyed disbelief he was so familiar with. "Oh, certainly. Does he have a fever?"

Sasuke stared at her.

_Shit._

"One second... I..." he paused, digging his phone out of his pocket anxiously. Flipping through the miniature list of contacts he found Kiba, and listened dimly to the sound of the phone ringing, ignoring the searching gaze of the woman staring at him.

"Kiba." He began.

_"Well hello to you too."_

"I need you to text me Hinata's phone number."

_"Nope."_

"What?"

_"That was a no."_

"Kiba, text me the number."

_"I'm not helping you harass the poor girl, no way. Forget it."_

"I'm not-" Sasuke took a deep breath. "Kiba, I am not going to harass her, for fucks sake. I really need the number right now. I'm serious."

A long pause extended over the line. _"Uchiha, if I send you this number and I hear one complaint from Hinata..."_

Frowning Sasuke turned away from the eavesdropping pharmacist, irritated beyond belief.

"What? You'll do what?"

_"Don't make me punch you, okay? I don't think that would go over well so close to our teaching evaluations. Seriously, I need this job as much if not more than you do."_

"Just send me the number."

Kiba's noncommittal grunt was his last comment before hanging up. For a moment Sasuke stared at the phone, willing it to vibrate, feeling his jaw tightening as the seconds ticked by until abruptly it shook, the contact making the screen light up with Hinata's name on it.

Without pausing to evaluate what he was doing he dialed, listening to the one and then two rings before her breathless, _"Uchiha-san?"_

Sasuke turned to the pharmacist again, irritated by her trained gaze on him. "Does...Haku..." he struggled for a moment, "Does he have a fever?"

_"H..Hai."_

"Yes." He looked at the pharmacist and she nodded. "Sore throat?"

"Sore throat?"

He heard a sound on the phone that made him blink. It was a laugh, half humor half nerves as Hinata sighed. _"Yes."_

"Yes." He looked back at the woman and she moved, pulling out a box from behind her on the shelf.

"I have to go." Sasuke muttered into the phone.

_"Hai...arigato, Uchiha-san."_

"Hn."

"I hope your son is feeling better soon." The pharmacist smiled as she rung him up, and Sasuke looked up at her in surprise, retraining his face with some difficulty.

"Oh...hai. Arigato."

Practically running out of the pharmacy he was halfway back to the apartment before he realized he had completely forgotten to stop at the liquor store on the way back to buy his gin.

* * *

He watched her, fascinated as she pulled her son into her lap. The boy stared at him with calculating blue eyes marred with a high fever. He wondered if in his state he would think he was nothing but a bad dream.

Standing in the hall just out of the boundary of their living room he studied her dropping the medicine into the ear of her boy despite his squirming. Her hands were firm and gentle, her frown one of concern.

"It's okay, Haku-kun. I've got you."

"Oka-san." Sora stated, her eyes trained on Sasuke with a steely focus that he found slightly unnerving.

"One second, Sora-chan."

"Oka-san."

Sighing Hinata picked Haku back up and walked into his and Sora's room.

"Oka-san." Sora called again. "Want kiki."

"Uchiha-san...can you please...there's cookies on top of the fridge." Hinata's voice was tired, and for a moment Sasuke stared at the invisible threshold of the hallway into the living room. Sora's blue eyes were unmoving on him again, expectation lighting them with interest. "Kiki."

"Uchiha-san?"

"Hai." He murmured, stepping into the living space with some trepidation.

The apartment was dimly lit in the darkness of late evening. He could see that she had put effort into making it more home like. Unlike his own apartment there were pictures in frames on the walls, on the shelves, on the fridge.

He froze.

Staring at him was Naruto, his grin so wide and familiar it knocked the air out of his lungs, and beside him like some menacing crow there _he_ was, glaring.

"Kiki." tiny hands pulled on his pants and he looked down, staring at the hesitant smile of a chubby toddler face, the same blue eyes from the picture blinking at him with slowly growing warmth.

"Here." he murmured, pulling out a sugary thing and handing it to her lightly.

Sora took it, eyes brightening with violent affection.

"Kiki, ai-gato."

"Take that to bed, Sora-chan." Hinata appeared in the doorway, swiping at her bangs with her hands lightly and blowing out a breath of air tiredly.

"Night, night, Ka-san." the child mumbled as she went to her room, chubby legs peeking out from under her nighty as she ran.

Closing the door Hinata bit her lip, glancing up at him for a second, hands twisting in front of her lap.

"...Arigato, Uchiha-san..." she began, watching him staring at her fridge out of the corner of her eye. "I...I realize you thought I was just trying to...to be spiteful, calling in sick, demo..."

"Iie." He shook his head tiredly, allowing himself a sigh. "I should go." He murmured, moving to get past her. In the tightness of the space he felt her press herself against the wall to let him by, rubbing her arm awkwardly as he passed.

Following a few steps behind Hinata watched him step into the hall, stopping briefly in the light of the streetlight.

"Gomen." He murmured, looking away from her pointedly. Hinata blinked at him, mouth parted in an O of surprise.

"I...no...it's okay, I..."

"No, it's not." He shook his head, ebony eyes flickering to her briefly before starting away. "See you at work on Monday."

"H-h-hai." Hinata meeped, watching him for a second longer before closing the door to her apartment and leaning against it, gray eyes searching the darkness for answers to questions she couldn't even put into words.


	6. Chapter 6

Hinata stared at the two obento boxes in front of her, biting her lip. What was it Naruto always said?

_"Tomatoes. That man and tomatoes and oniri, I swear. Sometimes we discussed the different vitamin deficiencies he could get from eating literally nothing else."_

_"B...but..." Hinata had blinked at him, watching as her beautiful blonde slurped up a noodle. "You could eat Ramen until you passed out..."_

_"Hey!" Naruto stared at her in shock, his blue eyes crinkling at the corners with mirth despite the serious expression on his lips. "Whose side are you on?"_

_Hinata had smiled, leaning across the counter to plant a kiss on his nose._

_"Always your side. Always."_

"Tomatoes." she stared down at the oniri nicely pressed into one side of the obento container and pulled up a bowl of cherry tomatoes, their red skins glistening in the morning light.

"Well..." she sighed, rubbing her forehead to try to distract herself from the feeling of embarrassment already crawling up her back. "...here goes nothing."

"Do I have to go?" At the table in the family room Haku was pushing around cereal in a bowl, his blue eyes uninterested in the multicolored floating bits in his milk.

Hinata sighed again, watching him for a moment before continuing to press tomatoes into the container, moving on to the tiny octopus shaped sausages next.

"I know it's hard, Haku-kun."

"I don't understand when they talk." He whispered. "Their words are different."

"But you do understand some of the words don't you? I heard you calling Sora-chan _baka_ recently." Hinata's tone took on a teasing stern voice and his eyes flickered to her as his cheeks reddened. "Um..."

"It's all going to get better and better." Hinata assured him, coming to sit across the little table from him. "I promise. It just takes time."

"Sora no baka!" Sora shouted suddenly, raising her fork up in the air like a sword blue eyes shining like the heart of a fire. Hinata jumped at her outburst, along with Haku and then to her kids surprise burst out laughing. The sound had been missing for so long it cracked the silence like a diamond through a glass window.

Haku felt a tentative smile reach his mouth as he watched his mom giggle.

"Okay." He murmured, taking a deep breath. "Okay."

Hinata turned to him with a smile, pushing his wild black hair back from his forehead gently. "That's my boy."

* * *

_"What do you want now?" Kiba shoved the phone to his ear without looking at it, expecting Sasuke's less than friendly voice on the other side. To his surprise there was a long pause and then, "Um...Inuzuka-san, I'm sorry, I..."_

_"OH!" Kiba stopped marching through the street, pausing to shove himself under the canopy of a shop to his right on the way home from the school. "Hyuuga-san! Sorry! I was expecting...someone else..."_

_He paused for a moment and then winced. "Oh no, I'm sorry did... did Sasuke call you to-"_

_"Oh, I was actually...I was actually calling to ask if you gave him my phone number and address?"_

_Kiba blinked, glancing around the street as though it would hold some sort of answer to her question. "Your number, yes, he asked for it just a moment ago. I'm sorry, did he call you just to bug you cuz if he did-"_

_"No! Not at all, I just wanted to thank you for d-doing that, he- I needed his help with...something, and well, thank you... I wasn't sure how he got it, I knew you had it so I thought..."_

_"I didn't give him your address though." Kiba blinked, then felt a bit of color drain from his face. "Did he show up at your house?"_

_"Um...yes, but it's okay, it was fine..."_

_"Ugh. Well, don't cover for him, Hyuuga-san, he's kind of..." Kiba paused, and then reconsidered. "He's going through some stuff right now, and that's no excuse, so don't let him be hard on you. But that's where it's coming from. It's not you. I'm pretty sure."_

_Hinata listened to the silence for a moment as she thought, wondering about what stuff he was referring to for the first time since arriving in her new home. "Arigato, Inuzuka-san... I appreciate it."_

_"No problem...and hey, if you ever need anything."_

_"Oh, thank you.T-thanks."_

_Kiba smiled briefly, starting his walk again. "See you Monday."_

_When she hung up he stared at his phone for a second, dodging other people on the street as he traveled through the slushy landscape._

_Why would Sasuke show up at her house? Worried that perhaps he had had more to drink than he should have again Kiba sighed, wondering if he should call him._

_Deciding against it he marched onward towards home, hoping that sometime in the weekend the lonely bastard would bother to give him a call, for once._

"So." Kiba walked towards the school on the early morning of Monday, wishing like everyone else that he could be home instead in his warm bed, instead of prancing through a parking lot of quickly melting dirty snow. "You went to Hyuuga-san's on Friday?"

Sasuke glanced at him briefly as he trudged along, jaw tight. "She told you?"

"She tells me everything." Kiba teased, and then more seriously. "No, she doesn't but she called me to...thank me? For sending you her contact info. What happened? I'm thoroughly weirded out."

Feeling more groggy and light headed than usual on his third day on minimal drinking Sasuke sighed, not feeling particularly inclined to having these sorts of conversations. Especially so early, on a Monday.

"I don't really want to talk about it."

"Argh." Kiba grunted, knowing that there would be no getting anywhere with Sasuke's mood as silent and grumpy as it was. "Well damn."

"I didn't harass her though." The Uchiha added suddenly, giving Kiba's shoulder a shove that almost sent him flying into a snow pile.

"Well good!" Kiba stuttered, getting his feet back under himself. "Otherwise I would have to kick your ass."

"Tch." Sasuke's reply was less than concerned as he waved over his head at him and entered the school, heading towards the teachers lounge to dump most of his junk.

Halfway down the hall though he paused, watching Hinata step out of the room, holding two fabric wrapped boxes in her arms.

Behind him Kiba brought up the rear, grumbling about Sasuke in some quiet but irritable language.

"Hyuuga-san." Sasuke muttered, finding to his surprise an inability to meet her eyes.

"Good morning, Uchiha-san...Inuzuka-san." Hinata smiled, feeling to her perpetual embarrassment as color rose to her face. "I...I wanted...I." she paused, irritated with herself. "Thank you, for helping me out, Friday night." She offered the two obento boxes out away from her body.

Kiba blinked and then grinned. "Oh! Homemade obento! Thank you, Hyuuga-san!"

Eagerly he reached out, taking the one offered to him. "I haven't had anything home made in...forever!"

Sasuke stared at the box in front of him for a moment, heart pounding in his chest with something that was distinctly unfamiliar.

"I..." He began trying to find words to reject the offering. Before he could figure out what he was going to say though Kiba took the obento, throwing it into his arms so that Sasuke had to scramble to not drop it. "You're awesome, Hyuuga-san! See you in a bit. Thank you!" He called, dragging Sasuke away by the arm.

Hinata nodded and, face hidden by her bangs rushed up the stairs to their classrooms, cheeks pink and ears burning.

Once she was out of ear shot Kiba turned to look at Sasuke with a mixture of confusion and dislike. "You idiot."

Sasuke found to his surprise that he had no reply. Truth was truth was truth after all.

"What did you do on Friday?"

"I just...ran an errand she couldn't do herself." He mumbled, moving to step into the teachers lounge, handling the obento like it was something made of glass.

Kiba followed again, glaring at his back.

"An errand?"

"Yes."

"Whatever you did. I bet you wouldn't have done it drunk though." he pointed out as they went to their respective desks across from each other. Around them the buzz of other teachers talking to each other and organizing themselves before the day lingered in the air, a soft hum of work getting ready to be done.

The Uchiha didn't reply, his hands putting the obento on the desk in front of him carefully, staring at the tiny dark birds that were printed over the fabric.

"No." He admitted softly. "I suppose not." Slowly he began to undo the wrapping on the lunch, curiosity getting the better of him for a moment. Kiba watched, although also curious he said, "It's going to get cold before lunch if you open it now."

"I just...want to see." Sasuke found himself murmuring slowly. Popping open the lid he blinked. The obento was carefully packed, oniri lined the one side of the little tray, and on the other bright red cherry tomatoes, with tiny octopus sausages in the center like little soldiers ready to march.

"Weird." Kiba blinked. "Why so many tomatoes?"

Sasuke just stared at it, blinking rapidly, unable to get the uncomfortable new feeling to shift in his chest.

* * *

The murmuring words in the classroom were both tense and light hearted as students attempted to gain traction with their English, laughing at their funny sounding voices and tripping over words as they attempted to communicate to each other some prepared conversations.

Hinata studied them, wondering what it would have been like to be in the same classroom each year with the same students. Back home the classes were different from term to term, and over time friendships had to be made based on what the students had in common. Here it seemed like friendships were made simply because of how long the students spent together each day. Like siblings in a home they knew each other and were familiar with their respective struggles simply because of the close proximity of their lives.

Thoughtfully she looked back down at the reports she had received from the kids, studying their writing a little tiredly.

"Please, go ask Hyuuga-sensei about it." she heard, and blinking looked up in time to see Haruno Sakura twisting her hands before her as she spoke to Sasuke, her face a little too close to her teacher's as she whispered something. Sasuke, leaning down on a desk to assist a male student with a question closed his eyes in obvious irritation.

"Haruno-san, please go ask Hyuuga-sensei about it. I am currently assisting another student. I cannot help two at once."

"I...I can wait." Haruno began, her hands lacing behind her back nervously. Hinata's gaze flickered to Sasuke who had at that moment looked over at her, ebony eyes making contact with her for only a second before he looked away. Thankful that he didn't see the immediate rush of blood to her cheeks Hinata stood.

"Haruno-san? May I be of assistance? It appears Uchiha-sensei is busy right now, demo, I am currently free..."

Sakura looked at her over her shoulder for a long moment, her jade eyes focused on her pale gray with a look Hinata found hard to identify. Sighing softly she turned to her. "Okay. I'll go get my stuff."

As the pink haired girl wandered down the rows of seats to her work book Sasuke sighed. "Thanks."

"Mhm." Hinata nodded beside him, watching Sakura saying something to Ino Yamanaka which made the blonde turn her eyes to Hinata with a less than favorable expression.

"Hm." She hummed to herself, watching as the two began to approach her at once, and remembering too many instances where beautiful confident girls had walked up to her in school she felt her stomach clench uncomfortably.

_Easy, Hina, you've got this. Believe it._ Naruto's voice whispered in her head and steeling herself she smiled.

"Let's sit over here, shall we? Yamanaka-san, would you like some help too?"

The blonde shrugged lazily. "Ano, I can wait for whichever of you two is free first." She offered, her eyes pointedly looking at Sasuke who began to digress his explanation of a complicated grammar problem to the student beside him without looking up.

"I think Uchiha-sensei is going to be busy for quite some time, Yamanaka-san. Come and join me and Haruno-san at this table and we can all three work on your problems together." Hinata murmured, letting her eyes flicker to Sasuke and back although he was looking pointedly away as though not listening to their conversation.

Jaw clenching for one second Ino nodded. "Fine."

Together the two girls plopped down in their seats and Hinata bit her lip, joining them with the least bit of hesitation she could muster, pulling a pen out of her pocket calmly. "So, what was the question?"

"I don't get this stuff." Haruno mumbled, pushing a book towards her without much conviction. Hinata watched her for a second before looking down at the book in question. Sakura and Ino were absolutely beautiful girls. There was pretty and cute which on her very confident days Hinata felt she might actually fall under. But then there was beautiful, the kind of beautiful that made you stop to stare no matter what your orientation was.

Usually a school was graced with only one such person as they were often rare and hard to find but, feeling more and more like a wall flower Hinata studied the English on the page before her, noting that with Sakura's beautiful hair and green eyes, Ino's brilliant blue gaze and blonde locks and Sasuke standing behind her like some sort of ad for men's underwear she was likely the only normal person in the vicinity besides the poor pimply teen boy to Sasuke's right.

Clearing her throat she pointed to the problem. "Perhaps if you had a handle on the verb conjugation it wouldn't be so difficult? I can see in some of the earlier problems that they were translated incorrectly. Remember in the back of your book are examples? Let's look at those."

"Okay." Sakura commented, glancing at her briefly from studying Sasuke. Hinata followed her gaze for a second.

Leaning down on the desk with the light of the sun coming through the windows he was something to be admired. She wasn't dead so it would have been pretty difficult to not see it. Everything about him was centered, the length of his forearms, the way his shoulder blades showed through his white dress shirt, the broadness of his shoulders and the way his body tapered at his hips. She followed the line of his jaw with her pale gaze, frowning a little before turning herself back to Ino and Sakura who had long lost their train of thought as they watched the light play with the hues of blue in their teacher's dark hair.

"Ladies." Hinata's voice had a sharper tone, unlike the soft feathery sound that usually escaped her lips the one word came out like a knife onto the chopping block. Startled the girls jumped back to her, missing the glance that Sasuke shot at them.

"Please." Hinata stated, and waited, looking at them with her lips pressed into a thin line.

Sakura and Ino's cheeks brightened to a pink sheen for a moment. Glad that they had at least the common sense to feel embarrassed Hinata pushed the book back to Sakura. "Please try to conjugate the rest of this page, I will check it over when you're done. Yamanaka-san, what are you struggling with?"

Stuttering a little in her surprise Ino scrambled to flip open her book, looking for the issues with her homework.

Behind her Sasuke studied Hinata's tense little shoulders with curious surprise.

* * *

_...I've been so worried about Hinata-chan I didn't even know if I was going to get to write you a letter this month. She's been puking so much lately. I skipped work last week and this week twice because of how bad it got. At first we thought it was the flu but I'm taking her to the doctor tomorrow, it went away and now it's back._

_I am so worried its something serious. She's lost weight already and honestly she can't afford to lose any more. Wish you were here to have a beer with me today. She's sleeping and I'm at home bored and would have appreciated a good "calm the fuck down, idiot" speech from you right now._

_I wonder sometimes if you're feeling similar things to what I feel lately. Like if there's someone in your life that you look at with the same almost painful emotion I get with Hinata. Watching her throwing up and in such discomfort nearly drove me crazy these last couple of weeks. If you get this I hope you send us some good vibes._

_Take care of yourself this new year, okay? I know how hard you had been hitting the liquor cabinet when you were still living here, and sometimes I am scared that the reason you never reply is that you drank yourself into some hole in the ground._

_Prove me wrong, you stupid bastard and come back._

_Please come back._

_-Naruto_

Sasuke stared at the page in his hand, sitting on the bar stool in his kitchen with the obento from Hinata in front of him. He had not had the heart to eat it at school, tucking it last minute into his bag on his way home although unsure of why.

Now, finding that his kitchen was as empty as usual he eyed it sitting innocently on his counter and popped it open again, frowning as the feeling he couldn't put a name to wiggled around in his chest, getting nice and comfortable even as it made him shudder.

"There." he murmured to himself. The first sign of a pregnancy. Quickly and before he could lose his nerve he ripped open the next letter, flipping through the pages until he found the squiggly excited capitals of Naruto's announcement.

_...WE'RE HAVING A BABY!..._

_...she's been so sick but I cannot believe it, I am both grinning all the time and worried all the time and I can't figure out which of these feelings is more dominant..._

_...how the hell am I supposed to keep a tiny squishy human thing alive and safe? I mean, once they're out and about- and what if it's a girl, Sasuke? What the hell am I going to do if there's boys sniffing around my house. You have got to come back and help me with this. Or at least let me send them pictures of you glaring to make them back off when the time comes..._

_...I think the baby should be born around February, Hinata doesn't care what we have, she's been starry eyed from the moment they told her at the hospital, despite the puking. I keep thinking I would love to have a boy first, because I'm going to need help keeping a girl out of trouble and with you MIA I'm going to need all the help I can get..._

_...I so wish you were here to help us with the baby's room, it needs a lot of work and Hinata can't do a lot now, and I'm absolutely useless at this sort of stuff..._

Sighing Sasuke ripped into the next one, tossing the unread portions onto a pile to his right, grabbing a tomato with his chopsticks and popping it into his mouth as he began to read again.

_...Not that you're particularly talkative or anything but still. Don't go telling anyone about this but I've never been more attracted to this woman, I swear. She's about double the size she was when I met her because there's another person in her body but. My god. When she wakes up with her hair all messed up and sleepy I can't even keep myself from wanting to bite her. Actually bite her. You read that right. She's always so pink in the morning like she was blushing in her sleep, and with her big belly all full of life I just find it so hard to not kiss her all the time..._

Sasuke swallowed painfully, an image of Hinata in a bed with her hair messed up and warm flashing through his mind making him put his chopsticks down, pushing his palms into his eyes until it hurt to stare into the dark.

In his mind her cheeks were rosy from the warmth of the bed, her mouth soft and as she rubbed her face sleepily with one hand the loose neck of her shirt slipped off her shoulder, exposing the smooth moon of her pale skin.

Tossing the rest of the letters on the counter with something akin to panic he stood, grabbing his jacket and heading out the door in a hurry, his fingers finding his phone in his pocket with some trembling.

Dialing as he headed out the door with his shoes not even quite on his feet he listened, locking the apartment behind him as he went.

_"Hello?"_  Kiba sounded surprised.

"Want to meet at the bar down town?"

_"...it's Monday, isn't it kind of..."_

"I'm going with you or without you, just letting you know." Sasuke's voice shook at the end for a second and Kiba seemed to perk up right away.

" _Wait, wait, wait_ _! I'll be there in like... fifteen. For god's sake don't start drowning in the booze before I get there. Christ."_ And he hung up, leaving Sasuke to walk rapidly out of his building with his hands clenching and unclenching in his pockets over and over again with each attempt to move the image replaying in his mind.

* * *

"So?" Kiba inquired as he sat down on the bar stool next to him, ignoring the bar tender who tried to make eye contact instead looking for empty glasses around Sasuke's person and finding none, just one in his grip, filled halfway with something dark.

"Rum and coke." Sasuke replied as he stared at his drink. "Just the one so calm down."

Relaxing a little Kiba tossed his jacket onto the stool next to him. "What's the matter though? You haven't been to a bar in months."

"Those letters..." Sasuke began and paused. Kiba studied him suddenly with more interest. "Everything okay?"

"I can't read those letters."

"You don't have to." His friend frowned. "I figured you would want to, but you don't have to. It's not like you have to do penance or anything."

"Tch." Sasuke growled, downing nearly half his drink before responding. "I should have read them when he sent them. I should have been there, I should have at least sent him one asking him to stop. At least, but I..."

Kiba listened, arms crossed on the bar, eyes unfocused as he spoke.

"He's dead." Sasuke whispered, and the grip on his cup tightened until his knuckles turned white. Kiba eyed his fingers for a second and then sighed. "Yep. He's dead."

Sighing loudly Kiba shook his head. "Throw the letters out, Uchiha. They're not doing you any good. Look at you." He pointed at the rum. "You've been hitting the bottle so hard lately I was starting to think I would be held accountable for not reporting it to Principal Tsunade when something finally went wrong, do you know what I mean? Like I'm an accomplice or something. But these last few weeks you've pulled back hard and look at Hyuuga-san's reaction."

Wincing at the mention of Hinata Sasuke looked down at his drink, feeling the blood start to pass through his body a bit more rapidly. "If someone you've treated with such disdain right off the bat can see a difference in your behavior after two weeks of cutting back I wonder what kind of person you'd be with no booze in you at all."

He seemed to say it as a passing thought, almost a joke. Sasuke looked at him square on for a second until Kiba finally made eye contact, mildly unnerved. "What?"

"How long...have I been like this?" he whispered, and there was something so raw in his face that Kiba didn't even frown, sighing he looked back at the bartender, waving him over as the need for a drink overwhelmed him also.

"Dude, I don't think I've known you without a drink in hand or a hangover, which I think might be why I excuse so much of your bullshit behavior." He muttered, watching as his drink was poured.

Sasuke thought back, trying to remember when it had become a thing he did all day, every day? Since when did he count the hours between drinks?

When had he been unable to get up without the enticement of a sip of vodka or rum to help him get past his reflection in the mirror on the way out the door?

"You don't have to stay that way though." Kiba shrugged. "People change when they want to, Uchiha. You're no different. Do you want to?"

The obento box in his house was getting cold, but thankfully he had finished most of it before he had run out of the apartment. He would have hated to throw it out and somehow that made him more uncomfortable than receiving it.

Unable to answer Kiba he took another sip of his drink, eyeing it with sudden distaste.

"Its not easy." Kiba continued despite his lack of response. "But if there's one thing I know about you, Uchiha, is that if it's hard you find some weird masochistic pleasure in doing it."

Sasuke smirked suddenly. "Hn."

* * *

She had been driving him up a wall all week long. Tiredly he restrained himself from sighing when Sakura approached his desk despite the rest of the class happily heading out the door in a hurry, yapping at each other about their weekend plans.

"Sensei?" She inquired, cocking her body to the right gently so as to peek at his face despite the utmost effort he was putting into not looking at her. Hands fiddling with the papers on his desk he focused on arranging them neatly into his bag.

"Hm?"

"I know... I know we've spoken several times about you tutoring me..." Sakura began slowly watching with a rising flush to her cheeks as Sasuke sighed loudly and finally turned his dark eyes on her.

"I know you said you couldn't, because of school policy but, I'm really struggling lately, with my English lessons and, my parents were talking about sending me overseas for summer vacation. Is there any way...um, that I could maybe have extra time with you after school or at lunch hour?"

In theory her request was innocent, and with her big green eyes watching his every expression he wondered that she had not got herself an official reprimand from the school. But, knowing Tsunade, she probably thought it was his fault that she kept coming back at him like this, trying to figure out times to get him alone.

"Haruno-san." He shook his head. "We've been over this. I don't do private lessons. For anyone."

Sakura nodded, biting her lips hard and adjusting the skirt of her uniform with trembling fingers. "Right. Sorry, Uchiha-sensei." she paused. "I just...hoped..." she stopped, glancing up at him to see his eyes trained on her, unreadable in their darkness.

Why was he always so hard to understand? The way he studied her she sometimes thought there was curiosity or interest or something flitting through his mind, but then he would look away and there was nothing but dark slate in his gaze. It was driving her crazy, looking at him every day and thinking about him all the time. His refusals had been so consistent from the beginning that even Ino was starting to let this go, but for Sakura this was something else.

Once, in the hall someone had shoved her so hard by accident she had gone to fall, leaning against the railing at the top of the stairs it would have ended up in a broken leg or worse, but his arms had been there to steady her, and she had breathed in the scent of his cologne. The brush of his hair against her face as he saved her and straightened had made her heart snap to a rhythm she had never known.

"Careful." he had said, so softly it had made her shudder. All she wanted was to have him touch her as confidently as he had that day. She knew it was starting to become obvious not just to him but to the other teachers that she stared too long but her train of thought was always so easily distracted in his presence.

It wasn't her fault, she tried. It would have been easier for her to have a normal crush on a boy instead of this man.

_Barely a man though_ , Sakura mused, watching his eyes soften for a second on her face.  _He's just barely older than we are._

"Haruno-san, sit down." He sighed, motioning to the desk behind her. Surprised, Sakura took a seat, watching him walk around his own desk to lean against it. Unbeknownst to him the act of rolling up his shirt sleeves and exposing the muscle of his forearms made her bite her lip hard. Tiredly he rubbed his neck for a second.

"There are rules in place for a reason. I know that you are finding it hard to hear no so consistently." He began watching as her eyes widened and her cheeks began to flame. "However, perhaps if you paused to consider the reasons behind those rules you might be able to understand a little more of what I'm- what your senseis- are all trying to say when we enforce those rules."

Swallowing hard Sakura looked down at the table top in front of her, clenching her hands tightly in her lap.

"...I know...why the rules are in place...but I.."

Sasuke sighed and shook his head. "There's nothing else but those rules, and perhaps..." he paused, wondering if he was overstepping but deciding to take a chance he bit his lip. "Perhaps you wouldn't be so interested...if I was the kind of sensei that would disregard those rules. Rules that were put in place to protect you."

Sakura's eyes had filled with tears, her throat felt thick and fingers tightening into fists she nodded.

"May I be excused please?"

"Of course."

Quickly she shot up, pushing out of the desk and out the door only to freeze at the sight of Hinata blinking at her in surprise in the hall.

"H..haruno-san..." Hinata began, startled.

"Excuse me, Hyuuga-sensei." Sakura's voice wobbled and as she blinked rapidly her green eyes overflowed with tears. Before Hinata could say anything else she ran, skipping down the stairs at the end of the hall two steps at a time.

Hinata stared after her, eyes wide before turning to Sasuke who was studying her quietly, hands in his pockets as he waited.

"...she...she seemed very upset." Hinata murmured finally, stepping inside.

"Hn." Sasuke sighed, walking back to his desk slowly. In the stillness of the empty classroom with the weak setting sun blazing through the windows the different shades of violet in her hair brightened into a myriad of different blacks. Tearing his eyes from her he began the work of putting his marking into his bag again.

"I came to drop off these quizzes, for tomorrow's class." Hinata tapped the paper in her hands lightly and placed them on his desk. "I...won't be here tomorrow, it's my day off, so if there's anything you'd like me to do...?" Trying not to remember too clearly the last time they had had this discussion she turned away to stare at the sun sinking between the far off hills.

Sasuke nodded. "I don't think I need anything actually. With this term coming to an end there's just their main project due and then they're off on vacation."

"Right." Hinata turned, heading towards the door again. "Well... I'll see you next week, Uchiha-san."

"I have your bento box." He called suddenly making her pause. Hinata turned, surprise lighting her face along with the heat of the dusk. "Oh!"

"...thank you, for that." He pulled the fabric covered container out of his bag, handing it to her with a severe tightening of his chest.

Feeling her face suddenly heat up Hinata nodded. "No, um... I'm glad you... that is..."

"Why did you not tell me about the kids?"

He was almost as startled as she was. Since the medicine incident neither of them had really said much to the other, politely moving around each other with a different confused kind of tension than the previous one. Hinata had hoped that the subject would be dropped and that maybe there was some semblance of humanity in the horrid man which would explain his sudden lack of antagonism towards her.

Biting her lip again she hoped she was right.

"...N...Naruto did." she briefly whispered, watching his face register her words with an emotion she couldn't name. "I didn't think you wanted to hear about them from me if you didn't want to hear about them from him."

Jaw clenching Sasuke turned away, continuing with his papers slowly.

"I had not read any of the letters." He murmured.

Hinata blinked.  _Had not? You're reading them now?_

"I figured t-that."

"I think..." Sasuke began slowly, unsure of where he was going at the start of the sentence."There may be some letters that you may want."

Heart pounding suddenly in her chest Hinata tried to read his face but turned away from the sun coming in through the windows his features were shadowed. "You still have them all?" it was a rhetorical question, watching as he stopped moving, his hands tightening on the desk edge, she knew.

"Yes... I have them. I just never-"

"But, you kept them." Hinata took a step towards him that surprised her. Reading words Naruto had penned would kill her, and yet the torture was too tempting to pass up.

Finally turning to look at her Sasuke stared, watching as trepidation left her face at the idea of reading thoughts penned by her loved one. She stared with blatant disregard into his face, her hands tight in front of her, reminding him for a second of Sakura a moment earlier, desperate.

"Yes, I have them. I can bring some on Friday." he conceded slowly, studying her face as she realized her proximity. Abruptly the lack of self awareness vanished and stumbled back, rubbing her arm nervously.

"T..thank you, Uchiha-san."

Quickly she turned towards the door, heading out with her hands grasping the bento box tightly, pausing at the threshold she turned, peeking around the curve of the door frame.

"Um.."

Sasuke looked up at her again, startled to see the paleness of her eyes turn a brilliant gold in the light of the sun, her skin pearly, contrasting sharply with the darkness of her hair she was ethereal, searching his face with a shy unsure smile. "I...I think you did great...with Haruno-san... you were clear and professional and k-kind... if you need someone to validate your story...I..." she paused and Sasuke nodded.

"Bye." she closed the door and at its closing Sasuke let his shoulders droop, feeling tension he didn't fully understand loosen across his back.


	7. Chapter 7

When the snow started she didn't even notice. Around her the flakes fell thick and slow, catching the wind as they drifted, moving through the coolness like fat feathers on the breeze. The trees cloaked their bare naked branches in the white dusting, and the silence began to grow as the snow flakes blanketed everything in their purity, muffling the sounds, even those of her crying.

She had never been a loud crier, something that Naruto had often complained about.

_"I wish I could hear you, Hina-chan. I wish I could hear your sad, so I could come to you sooner. Please, call to me."_

Silently Hinata stared at the papers in her hands, studying first the script she had not realized she had missed seeing. Haphazard and slanted Naruto had scribbled Sasuke's name on each envelope with care, making sure to do so clearly albeit not particularly pretty. Her old address glittered on the sticker on the other corner. She had had those made for him when they got engaged. The sticker was shaped like a leaf, in it was his name and their address.

He had been excited at the gift, and then chastised her.  _"Why doesn't it say Mr and Mrs. Uzumaki on there?"_

She had glowed red as she pressed his forehead to hers, breathing in the soft smell of her hair, feeling the heat of her blush on his skin.

_"Can you say it for me?"_

_"Say...what?"_

_"I am Mrs. Uzumaki."_

_"...ok...I... I am..."_

_"Mrs. Uzumaki."_ his words had been breathless, anticipation coating the name and making her more rosy.

_"I am Mrs. Uzumaki."_

The heat had made her ears burn and eyes clenched shut tight against the feeling she had not seen his kiss coming, the hunger with which he pressed her to him pushing the air out of her lungs with a deep sigh.

_"My Mrs. Uzumaki."_  he had whispered into her ear, nibbling the lobe delicately. _"Mine."_

Swallowing hard Hinata pried the pages of the letter apart, studying the date carefully with pale liquid filled eyes.

"February 25th." She blinked, surprised. This was days after Haku's birthday.

_Sasuke, you bastard._

_You're an uncle._

_Now, don't take it into your head that you have to rush back or anything, it's not like I want to see you, stupid jerk. But you missed it. You missed the terrifying day when I became a dad._

_I don't know how women do it, Sasuke. I don't know. If you're with someone, I'm telling you now, start paying up for the gift they give you when they give birth. I don't know how to understand it. Think about it, they become a portal, a passage for another being to come through into your life- they do this for us, for the little squishy human with our DNA crawling through it._

_I can't express to you how scared I was._

_She started crying in the night. She said it was just fake contractions. But I knew better, or maybe I was just more terrified than she was. They didn't stop like they had been doing the last few weeks and all of a sudden she was looking less and less at me and more at some faraway place in the distance. Sometimes when the pain was bad she seemed to leave me, and all I could do was grip her hand as hard as she was holding mine._

_Haku was born at 3 in the morning on February 20th. He weighed in at an astounding 6 pounds 8 ounces. I can hold him with his head in my palm and his feet tucked into the crook of my arm. He looks like the softest petals on a flower, I'm not poetic but that's what his tiny cheeks look like. Seriously._

_Hinata was unsure at first of what you would think, because it's been a few years since I've heard from you and she was concerned that perhaps you would be offended but I'm pretty sure that you would be an idiot if you were offended, and we both know you're not an idiot, you're a bastard sure but you're no idiot._

_So I named him Haku Sasuke Uzumaki. I hope you feel like crap, and when you read this, if you haven't already come to see him then get your ass over here. I can't really write as long as I would like what with being a parent and all. And you would probably get sick of descriptions of my baby and the amazing awe inspiring thing that is my wife, so I'll just leave you with the knowledge that I am extremely, supremely happy, but as per usual, missing you._

_-Naruto_

Tears blurred the page for a second before dropping onto the ink and startled Hinata tried to wipe them away, her cold fingers trembling as she dabbed at the paper with the end of her scarf.

"Here."

Startled she jumped, turning to look at Sasuke watching her passively, his hand extended to her with a tissue between his fingers.

Blinking, Hinata sniffed and took the paper in her hands. "T-thanks."

Slowly the Uchiha sat down beside her on the school steps, hands pressed firmly into the pockets of his coat.

"You named him Haku Sasuke." He whispered, noting the letter she had in her hands. Hinata swallowed hard, looking down at the paper like it was the holy grail. "Yes... we did... Naruto had decided on Sasuke for his first born son before you stopped talking to him." She bit her lip, feeling a jab of dislike at the fact that someone would ever reject the person who brought so much joy into her life.

Sasuke was feeling the jab a thousand times worse, his insides squirmed with displeasure and letting out a long puff of air into the freezing atmosphere he sighed as he sat down beside her.

"I miss him." Hinata whispered, surprised that she allowed the words to come out. "Haku... he stares at me sometimes and I see him, I see Naruto and I..." she paused leaning down to press her forehead to her knees hard.

Sasuke watched, searching the long strands of her silk hair for her gaze.

"I miss him too." He admitted suddenly, watching her turn sharply to look at him, her eyes tangled among the ink spill of her black hair. Slowly she sat up, face searching his with confusion.

"But... you..."

"I know it doesn't make sense." He muttered, turning away to stare at the icy landscape of the school grounds. "I thought I would eventually get a chance to go back, I guess."

Pale eyes stared dazedly into his face, momentarily unaware of her usual shyness. "Things never work out quite how we hope."

"No." He shook his head. "Never."

Realizing suddenly that it had begun to snow Hinata shivered. "I have to get to the kids' daycare. They're going to want to play outside before we get home." Slowly she untangled herself from the mess of grief restraining her limbs and stood.

Sasuke followed suit, watching her rearrange her scarf around herself carefully.

"What are you planning on doing for Christmas?" He murmured. "It's a bit different here than it is back home."

Hinata blinked at him as she pulled her bag to the side to slide the letter into a pocket. "I haven't decided." She winced slightly. "It's the first Christmas for the kids after..."

Sasuke nodded. "Will you go back home?"

Eyes widening Hinata shook her head slowly just one turn from right to left. "No..." her hand pressed to her chest above her heart for a second as though soothing a wound. "No, I...I can't."

Puzzled but unable to ask anymore Sasuke nodded.

"Thank you, Uchiha-san." Hinata sighed, looking down.

"I have more." he murmured, although unwilling to admit how many more letters lay sprawled all over his apartment. Hinata nodded. "I think... I think I will just...look at this one for now, if you don't mind keeping the others for the time being?" for a second she felt her chin wobble and her eyes prick with tears. Biting her lip to keep herself steady she smiled with force, making Sasuke's chest ache. "Is that okay?"

"Of course."

"T-thank you." Turning she stepped out into the cushioned cotton cloud landscape, looking over her shoulder briefly to wave at him before starting out the school gates. Even from a few steps away though Sasuke could see the tears glittering on her cheeks in the dim winter sun, making her sparkle as though drenched in diamonds.

* * *

"What was it you gave Hyuuga-san earlier today?" Kiba inquired lazily beside him. The crunch of their feet over the snow harmonized with the puffs of breath that escaped their mouths as they walked.

Sasuke thought for a moment, biting the inside of his cheek before admitting softly. "I knew her husband."

Kiba kept his eyes straight ahead, training his surprise into calm non nonchalance. "Oh?"

"You know those...letters?"

At this Kiba stopped walking, looking at him as he rubbed his left eye roughly. "Wait."

"Hyuuga is her maiden name."

"Wait, wait."

"Our town is pretty small so..."

"Ugh." Kiba sighed, lifting a hand up to stop his chatter, which was something that had not really ever happened to Sasuke before. A bit ruffled at the feathers he waited, eyeing Kiba silently.

"You... you grew up with her."

"Not exactly, we lived in the same town."

"But you'd met her before?"

Sasuke thought back, trying to remember the first time he had ever seen the pale gray eyes of the Hyuuga family before. Frowning he shook his head. "Yes, I suppose. We went to school together, along with-"

"Naruto Uzumaki, the guy writing the letters."

"The guy who wrote them. Yes." Sasuke waited on the sidewalk as Kiba digested this new information slowly, looking out into the playground of the park they were walking beside.

"So, you've known her all along and..."

"Not the way you're insinuating." Sasuke grumbled. "I knew _of_ her. She's... I recognized her, anyway."

"She recognized you?"

Sasuke blinked, remembering the wide eyed expression on her face as she caught sight of him on the stairs the first day of September term.

_"S-s-sasuke-kun?"_

"I guess so."

"That's how you found out." Kiba blinked at him, something akin to sympathy flashing over his face. "About your friend."

Irritated by the expression on his features Sasuke turned away and began to walk again, not caring if he followed or not. "Yes. That's how I found out."

"She still wears the wedding ring. I definitely thought she was still married."

"She has kids, she kind of is." Sasuke shrugged. "At least for a while anyway."

"She has kids?" Kiba started. "I am finding all new things today. And you didn't care to share this with me sooner why?"

Growling Sasuke sped up his pace making Kiba stop again.

"Hey!" He shouted, picking up a handful of snow and chucking it at his shoulder. The whiteness splattered over his back as it exploded and Sasuke stopped, looking at him like had gone mental. "What is wrong with you?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it wasn't... I didn't... " he mouthed like a fish for a moment, more irritated with himself in that moment than the childish man before him. "I don't know, it didn't... it didn't feel right."

"Feel right?" Kiba let out a humorless laugh. "You don't feel. You're an Uchiha."

"Shut up." Sasuke shook his head at him, starting away again, although he was feeling a little less annoyed than a few moments prior.

Slowly Kiba began to walk after him, shaking the snow off his fingers..

"But hey, now she's free to start fangirling all over you right?" he teased, making Sasuke wince, thankful that he wasn't looking at him closely.

"Well, since you know her and somehow you managed to smooth things over considering your monumental mess up of a start - Tsunade has asked me for a favor and if we both comply I think it might win you brownie points." Kiba continued unaffected by Sasuke's silence.

"A favor?" Already Sasuke was dreading the next words coming out of Inuzuka's mouth.

"Yep! So you know how you made all those Assistant Language Teachers quit earlier this year." He wasn't really asking.

"All? There was only three."

"Yeah, so _all_ those teachers." Unperturbed Kiba stepped up beside him again. "She's worried Hinata is looking a little unhappy lately, although now that you tell me she's a widow it kind of makes sense. But since she just moved here from wherever you're both from Tsunade is worried she's having trouble adjusting to living so far from home. She wanted me to ask her to join me and friends for some outings, like the year end festival."

Sasuke made a face that was more expressive than anything he could have said.

"Don't look so irritable." Kiba grumbled. "It's not that bad... I mean if she has kids she may say no, but at least we tried no?"

"I think Christmas..." Sasuke began, and hesitated, watching as his friend's face pricked with interest at him. "What about Christmas?"

Still feeling distinctly unsure of the next words coming out of his mouth Sasuke continued, restraining his face from doing anything that would betray any of the trepidation he felt.

"I know it's a big deal back home, especially for people with kids, and now she's here without family, and two kids, and without.." He drifted off, letting Kiba's eyes widen.

"Shit." He mused, "Guess we're gonna have to go over there then, eh?"

Blinking Sasuke stopped walking to stare at him this time, causing Kiba to look questioningly at him. "What?"

"You can't just invite yourself over." He shook his head. "That's not how-"

"Sure we can." Kiba shrugged. "Trust me."

Sasuke hesitated for a moment, the 'no' wanting to pop out of his mouth getting caught on his adam's apple.

"Fine." he conceded instead.

"Do you think they have kimono for the End of Year Festival?" His friend continued, trying not to look too surprised by Sasuke's unusual agreement with his unorthodox plans to usurp the Hyuuga Christmas.

Blinking Sasuke shook his head. "No... why would they? They just got here."

"Hm." was all Kiba said. "Just wondering."

Thoughtfully Sasuke caught up to him, puzzled at how that conversation had gone.

* * *

_...Haku is starting to have some words to throw at me. I'm a little proud to say that his first word was actually 'stop'. I know most parents are all excited to hear the mama and dada thing, but the fact that he glared at me with such disdain at my tickling him and just flipped me the baby finger by telling me to quit made me laugh out loud. I thought for a second he was channeling you. He's a quiet guy. Hinata was a lot like him, she tells me. I can see it. She doesn't feel comfortable with people all that easily._

_He's walking around a lot, which surprised me. I don't know why but I had it in my head that babies didn't start getting personalities and walking around like tiny little people until about two but he's only a year and a bit and although he's only got a few words they're clear as day. Sometimes he watches us with these knowing looks on his face and Hinata laughs. She said once that it was probably because we named him after you, some of that genius had to rub off._

_It bugs her that I sit here and write you letters. I think because I get a little glum after I do it, but I talk to her about you and I think she understands then, because I have almost all good memories of you Sasuke. I wonder if you've forgotten all of them by now._

_It's a couple months late because Hinata doesn't ever want to jinx a pregnancy but we found out were expecting again and I have that feeling that it's going to be a girl.  I'm so scared. I look at Hinata and the way her body moves, the way she smells the way she is and the idea of having my daughter resemble her mother makes me sweat. How the hell am I gonna keep something so beautiful safe?_

_I may have been half joking last time I mentioned that fear to you before but in all seriousness Sasuke, being a dad is terrifying. Haku, he's watching everything I do, he's listening to everything I say. What if I screw this little person up before he has a chance to get this walking thing figured out?_

_I hope you're doing well, wherever you are. I hope that maybe you've figured out some of this shit so if you ever decide to come knocking that I can get some tips because I'm floundering a little._

_In the day to day crap I feel like I'm doing okay... I feel like I might pass out from changing diapers sometimes, don't get me wrong but when it comes to being part of Haku's world it's not so bad you know?_

_But when I think about the future, about his graduation, about his marriage, about his children I freak out. He's going to go into life with the tools I give him._

_I wish you were here to balance it out for him, you always had a much more level head on than I did. You know, until you took off like a jerk and didn't come back._

_I'm missing you a lot lately, sometimes I see Haku do something and all I want to do is show you._

_Where the hell are you, Sasuke?_

Biting his cheek Sasuke pressed the letter to the counter in his kitchen, his hands felt cold. Truth be told his apartment was freezing. He was sure the people above him were wondering why there was nothing but chill coming up from their floors, but he hadn't bothered to turn the heat on yet that year.  He figured maybe he would sleep deeper if the room was freezing and he cocooned properly in his bed each night, trying desperately not to think about gin and tonic or tequila and lime.

"Like I have anything figured out." Sasuke muttered darkly, staring at the letter a moment longer before tossing it on the read pile and moving on to another one.

Long ago he had stopped reading them in order, finding it more interesting to find things out in surprising bursts. Like a jack in the box sometimes the letters had bits of life that he had not expected. The last moment of surprise had been Naruto's letter about his anniversary.

In it he had described Hinata's dress, and the way her lips had looked after he'd kissed her, the way they had been bruised and soft from the attack he had leveled on her in his hunger. It wasn't often, but when Naruto delved into the topic of his wife Sasuke found himself unable to finish the letter, tossing it and feeling the jittery energy in his body that signified his desire for a drink.

After a few instances where wrestling with his thirst had nearly defeated him he had found the answer in working out, throwing himself to the floor in push ups or sit ups, listening to the pounding of his heart race, because of his breath, because of his body moving, and for no other reason. Nothing else.

Although he had always kept up with some semblance of a work out despite his drinking, the last few months had taken a toll on even that. Finally finding himself able to move and breathe hard, feeling the sweat gliding down the side of his face, it had been satisfying, and distracting. Both good things to have when you're staving off crippling depression.

Slowly Sasuke opened another letter, studying the writing with curiosity.

December 15th.

Sasuke blinked. A year ago, today.

Ignoring the feeling of dislike hovering over his head he peeled back the pages.

_Hey Sasuke,_

_It's a week before Christmas. I always have a hard time writing you during the holidays. Yesterday we had a dinner party with a bunch of friends and Hinata's family. The house was so bright and warm. It was freezing outside. We have had so much snow this year. I'm worried about the flats flooding considering we live here in the summer, but I guess we will just have to pray that doesn't happen._

_I hope you're doing okay. This never replying to me thing is getting old, and Hinata got upset with me today in a way I never thought she would over me writing this. We don't scream, so it wasn't ugly like that, but she never put into words how she felt and today she told me it seemed to her that with every letter I was giving you and opportunity to reject me._

_I guess I am._

_I can't even remember how many of these damn things I've sent you. All I know is they're not being mailed back so, for sure someone is receiving them. I hope at least if it's not you that they aren't ending up in some recycling bags because that would genuinely piss me off. Not that I'll ever know._

_Why aren't you replying though? I mean, damn Sasuke, it's been years._

_I hope you're okay._

_Haku is turning four this February. I cannot believe I just wrote that. Haku is almost four. I can't believe he doesn't know you. It boggles my mind. I can't figure out what to get him for his birthday. Hinata always figures out presents for Christmas. She's good at gifts, always has been, so I don't often do much for birthdays and stuff but this being his fourth birthday I'm freaking out._

_I always wanted to get my kid something amazing for milestone birthdays, the big ones you know. Five, ten, fifteen, and that glorious moment when you get to have your first beer without looking for a cop over your shoulder, ya know?_

_But I have to admit I feel like his fourth birthday snuck up on me and now I'm freaking out about the fifth. He's not even four yet and I'm already panicking._

_I've been thinking of getting him a tool kit. A real one. None of the plastic kid crap. He's pretty good with the ones I have but they're too heavy so I've been looking around to see if I can find smaller ones so he can take shit apart. He went at the old radio I had when I threw it in the recycling and actually managed to get the backing off before I knew what he was up to._

_You'd know exactly what I was talking about. Hinata looked worried about it being dangerous and stuff but kids find dangerous things the most fun, you know? And he could help me figure out stuff around the house. Honestly I think that he would probably be teaching me some things too, he's got his mom's ability in that I'm completely hopeless and materials and tools actually make sense to him._

_Fuck, I can't keep writing this. You should be here. You just disappeared and that was a dick move and I hate that Hinata gets so upset about these damn letters but I can't stop writing because if you get this I really need you to call me._

_I won't even punch you when I see you. Okay, maybe that's too unlikely a thing for me to promise but beating the shit out of each other would be better than this black hole you've gone to._

_Hinata is prepping Christmas dinner today, it's a process to get it done and she always spends inordinate amounts of time on it. I think because she enjoys it. Sometimes I'm astounded that I got both a good cook and a hottie for a wife. Usually they're one or the other. I sometimes want to ask her to make something you'd like, just in case..._

_Wish you would surprise me one day_

_-Naruto_

Sasuke closed the letter. It had been significantly shorter than most. Sometimes three or four pages would spill out of an envelope, rarely was it only one.

_...I hate that Hinata gets so upset about these damn letters..._

Rubbing his face Sasuke stood. It was strange, knowing exactly how his friend had felt, being the cause of it now and being the cause of it then. Hinata's tear filled gaze had haunted him on his way home, and now glancing out the window it was still clinging to the edges of his mind, sparkling with the winter sun light through her sadness.

"I gotta get out of here." he murmured. He had already finished the half bottle of rum in his cupboard, slowly over the span of several hours and three drinks later. But his fingers were twitching for more, and as per usual he was attempting to keep his head. It may be Friday but there was one more week of school before the winter break and he couldn't afford to call in sick.

Hinata couldn't handle him calling in sick.

_Shit._ Shaking the thought from his head he shoved his arms into his coat and headed out the door, astounded that the place he called home was now terrifying, often making him rush into the chaos of the streets to avoid the palenes of the letters that haunted him in the darkness.

Out on the sidewalk he began to walk, picking a direction at random, just so long as it wasn't towards liquor stores he knew about.

He had aggravated Naruto. It was making the already tight muscle of his stomach contract painfully to be in the bad books of someone dead. Usually he wouldn't really give a damn about irritating someone, but the whole last letter had left a bad taste in his mouth. Naruto had been upset. Even with his usual teasing tones in his words there had been a wounded sound he had resonate in his head with each sentence.

He had strained his relationship with his wife, to write him, to keep up the hope that he would one day reply.

Sighing Sasuke looked around at the shops that were blazing with Christmas lights, their spastic flickers making multicolored patterns all over his face.

He hated owing people, hated the feeling that he would be called upon to _be_ something to someone at any moment. Hinata he owed already because of all the times she had taken his classes while he drank himself into a stupor. Naruto...Naruto he owed...

Christmas decorations covered the walls of the booths at the market, and surprised to find himself walking through the chaos of people chatting loudly and vendors selling foods and wares he paused, finally looking at where he was.

Although Christmas was less of a holiday in Japan than it was back home there was certainly the market places to confuse people. Couples wandered hand in hand through the cool evening air, their breath lighting up their faces with fog, cheeks and noses rosy as they buried into their scarfs.

The booths offered trinkets, hand made toys and Christmas tree ornaments and lights. Treats made the cool air smell sweet as they fried and were coated in powdered sugar that puffed up in clouds as he passed.

Hands in his pockets he walked slowly, seeing and not seeing everything around him until something caught his eye. The booth was smack dab between two loudly decorated Christmas ornament vendors, and so it seemed more muted in it's display. An older lady sat behind the table, reading a magazine casually, uninterested in her potential customers.

Sasuke stared up at the wares, his eyes trained on the tiny baby kimono up above on the booth wall.

"What can I help you with?" The woman asked gently, following the trail of his eyes to the miniature suits.

For a moment he paused, staring at the little articles of clothing, trying to picture Haku and Sora in the brief moments he had been in their presence.

"I think, I will take those two..." he hesitated, his eyes lingering on the pale purple kimono to the woman's right. In his mind Hinata's hair played with the lavender fibers, her small hands peeked from the sleeves. Hands tightening he nodded at it, before he could change his mind.

"And that one."

* * *

"It's so cold." Hinata whispered, sitting next to Kiba in the teachers lounge with her hands between her knees to get the tips to thaw. "I can't feel my fingers." She paused. "Or my toes."

Kiba smiled at her broadly, watching her tiny curled up shape in her chair, black hair a curtain around her shoulders.

"The heat being off is definitely not helping." He muttered, glancing at the workers down at the end of the room busily trying to figure out what had happened. "At least the classrooms are warm." He added.

Hinata sighed. "But full of children."

A short laugh escaped Kiba, and she blinked then smiled slightly. "I said that out loud." she murmured, and his laughter rose again.

The door to the lounge opened suddenly and a storm cloud walked in, lightening bolts and thunder and all.

"Good morning, Uchiha-san." Kiba sang, Sasuke glared at him for a moment, glancing only briefly at Hinata sitting stiff and cold in the chair to his right.

"Morning."

"Uchiha-san has this allergy..." Kiba began to explain in an exaggerated whisper voice to Hinata, one hand raised to his mouth as though blocking Sasuke from reading his lips. "...to sunlight. So mornings are rough for him. It's the vampire thing."

Brightening with a blush she couldn't control Hinata pressed her lips together firmly to keep from grinning,

"Please." Sasuke muttered darkly, flinging his bag onto his desk with force. "Be quiet."

"I should." Kiba admitted, turning to Hinata. "Or he may feast on my blood."

"Tch." Sasuke grumbled, and more quietly. "I don't eat junk food."

Surprise bloomed on both Kiba and Hinata's faces for a moment. "Well damn." Kiba finally laughed. "Who are you and what did you do with Uchiha-san?"

"Uchiha-san!"

Startled the three turned to look over at Tsunade-san walking quickly towards them. The principal of the school rarely had the chance to walk at a normal pace.

"I need to have a word with you. In my office, please."

Suddenly less cheery than before Kiba and Sasuke glanced at each other, Hinata watched them blinking rapidly. "Of course, Tsunade-san. I will be right there."

"Good morning." Tsunade called to the others, waving a hand as she walked by and into her office, leaving the door open for Sasuke to follow, closing it abruptly as he walked through.

"Eek." Kiba ventured, glancing at Hinata who blinked at the door with both curiosity and trepidation.

* * *

He was subdued in a way she had not seen him be before, and she was surprised to be worried. Watching him out of the corner of her eye she noted that the slight frown had not faded from his face from the moment he stepped out of the principals office. His tone with Kiba and Hinata had not changed but, with Tsunade wandering around the teachers lounge he had not elaborated on his meeting.

Kiba kept glancing at him with eyebrows raised, questioning, only to receive short furtive shakes of his head in reply.

Now in class Hinata pondered, watching the students start to divide to get their projects together before handing them in. Slowly walking up to his desk she twisted her hands together tightly, glad that they were at least less numb than previously.

"Uchiha-san?"

"Hn?" he didn't look up, setting out the bins for the students to place their finished work.

"...I...Is...is everything okay?"

Perhaps it was the surprise at her question that made him do it. Leaning on the desk he glanced up, and as he did a student passed behind her, making her lean forward to avoid being pushed, glancing back at him and finding his face inches from hers, dark eyes penetrating. He smelled nice, something masculine and clean and interesting.

Startled by the proximity and intensity of his stare Hinata's face flared with color and she leaned back quickly, taking a step from the desk to make more room between herself and his calm thoughtful gaze.

"...yes." He replied with too much force, then paused, letting his head hang in defeat. "No."

Trying to calm the heat in her face with deep slow breaths Hinata started. "Oh no.."

"Tsunade has had a report from a parent, about my behavior with Haruno-san." His eyes flickered to the pink haired girl at the back of the class who was buried in her books, attempting to avoid making eye contact with anything at the front if at all possible. Hinata glanced back, biting her lip.

"But... you have been nothing but firm with her. I've seen it." she replied, surprise lighting her face as she turned back to him. Sasuke smirked at her slightly. "Tsunade-san has her doubts. It's been a long haul for her dealing with this stuff." He shrugged. "I don't blame her, although it is...irritating."

"Perhaps I can speak to her."

Sasuke looked up at her again, feeling distinctly that this day was going to be full of surprises. "What?"

"I could speak to her. I have been in the room consistently when the girls have been inappropriate." Hinata replied calmly, puzzled by the confusion on his face.

"I suppose..." he began slowly and then blinked, listening to the sudden sound of a phone ringing. Startled Hinata turned to her purse, staring at it with growing panic. "My...my phone."

Watching her confusedly freeze as she looked at it Sasuke moved around the desk, picking her ringing purse up and extending it to her. "Hyuuga-san, perhaps..." he began, watching some of the kids glance at them curiously.

Pale Hinata reached into the purse he held as though she were putting her arm into the mouth of a lion.

"No one calls me." she whispered softly. "Everyone I know is here. Everyone except..."

Suddenly understanding her panic Sasuke took the phone, answering the call before she could do anything about it.

"Hello?"

_"Oh... uh, may I speak to Hyuuga-san? This is director Inamura from Chibi Cheek Preschool. It's rather an urgent matter."_

Without another word Sasuke handed the phone to her, watching intently as she pressed the cell to her ear. "Hello? Inamura-san?"

The voice on the phone continued, and Sasuke found himself putting a hand on her elbow to steady her as the rest of the blood left on her face drained.

"Yes... yes... I will be there right away. Thank you."

Hanging up she picked up her purse, heading towards the door in rapid steps. Sasuke followed, glancing back at his class for only a second before closing the door behind him. Hinata was nearly running down the hall.

"Hyuuga-san!"

"I have to go!"

"What happened?"

"Sora-chan!"

Startled again Sasuke ran forward after her, down the stairs. "Hinata-wait!"

Missing the fact that he had used her first name Hinata stopped, eyes wide in her face. "She broke her arm- she jumped off the playground- she's at the hospital, I have to get there-" she paused, startled. "Haku-kun! I... I have to go get Haku-kun first, but- I..." frazzled she stopped, feeling his hand grip her elbow again, more firmly this time.

"I...I'll go get Haku." the words were out of his mouth before he knew what he was saying. Startled Hinata stared at him. "You... you'll.."

"Text me the address."

"B-but-"

"Go to Sora, I'll bring Haku to you, okay?"

Starting again down the stairs Hinata took it, sometimes it was better not to ask questions. "Okay."

"Make sure you have your phone on you."

"Okay!" and running out the door she was gone.

Sasuke paused, biting his lip before heading to Tsunade's office, walking rapidly through the teachers lounge, picking up Hinata's coat, scarf and work bag as well as his own as he went, knocking hard on the Principals door while he put his coat on.

Tsunade's face peered at him from around the office door, surprise lighting her features. "Uchiha-san... are you going somewhere?"

"Hyuuga-san's daughter broke her arm." He answered, wrapping his scarf around his neck. "I have to go get her son from daycare, and she's just left for the hospital."

"Oh no." Tsunade blinked, startled by the quick efficient way he was gathering his things and Hinata's. "But... you? Is there someone else who could-"

"Not really." he looked up at her. "I'm sorry. I don't know when I will be back."

He turned, heading out the door as quickly as he had come in.

"Wait! But-" Tsunade gasped, stepping out of her office now in her surprise. "What about-"

"See you tomorrow, Tsunade-san!"

And he was gone too, leaving Tsunade and several of the other teachers staring after him in shock.

"What the...?"


	8. Chapter 8

_...She's everything I thought she would be and more. When she looks at me with those blue eyes I suddenly realize what it's like to be at the whim of another human being, and all they want is: candy. I've never felt so gloriously helpless before. She controls me, with a smile, or the tiny tip of her pink tongue sticking out of her mouth, all I can do is feign resistance but she knows, just like I do. I'm at her beck and call..._

The memory of Naruto's description of his daughter fluttered through his mind, and as he walked rapidly from the train station to the Daycare at the end of the street he wondered at the words.

Biting the inside of his cheek he stared up at the building. It was a nondescript little two floor business, outside however was the fenced yard covered in snow, little steps disturbed the white blanket and to the right was the offensive colorful curve of the playground where he supposed Sora had taken her spectacular dive to the ER.

"Haku Sasuke Uzumaki." He whispered, starting through the gates and down the little path towards the front door. He noted the hand painted images plastered to the windows of snowmen and butterflies, the colors harsh against the whiteness of the winter.

Feeling his stomach clenching uncomfortably he breathed in deep and opened the door.

Inside the foyer was brightly lit, painted a blazing navy blue with dolphins and other sea life blasting through the walls, their cartoon grins cut off by the window that hosted the reception desk and a young lady staring at him with a small O of surprise on her lips.

Ignoring her floundering expression he stepped forward, pulling his wallet out of his pocket to retrieve his ID.

"I am here to pick up Haku...Sasuke Uzumaki." He struggled with the name for a second, sliding the ID forward on the counter towards her, pretending he had not tripped on the boy's connection to him.

"Oh...Are... are you on the emergency pick up list?" she was young, he figured perhaps twenty, and her face was taking on a pink sheen as she looked at him, as they always seemed to in his presence. Ignoring it to the best of his abilities he shook his head. "Is there anyone on that list?"

Blinking the girl turned, pulling a desk drawer out and flipping through the folders until she pulled out one with Haku's name neatly printed on it. "I... no, you're right. I'm sorry but, without Hyuuga-san's express permission I can't release him into anyone's care..." she stared at him, her hands lingering on his ID, not pushing it back, not letting it go.

"One second." He sighed, irritated, turning around to dial Hinata's number distractedly.

The sound of little voices echoed down the hall and he glanced to the right, catching sight of a trail of kids walking down the hall in a tight line up, chattering away.

All except one.

With his chin down and his lips pressed into a thin line Haku barely glanced up at him, but he did, starting in surprise and stopping abruptly. Behind him another child ran into his back, complaining loudly at him.

Sasuke stared, meeting blue eyes with his own ebony over the distance of the hall. Naruto's face peeked at him from beneath a shock of Hinata's indigo tinted hair, her expression of distrust looking both natural and foreign on Naruto's features.

Feeling suddenly at a loss he started.  _What the fuck am I doing?_

Heart hammering in his chest Sasuke blinked, hearing a slightly panicked voice in his ear as he realized Hinata had picked up a little bit ago and was worriedly calling his name over and over.

"Sorry," he murmured, keeping his eyes fixed on the child down the hall, who refused to move, forcing the line to go around him.

"I am at the daycare, they won't release him without-"

_"Oh, right... of course. Please, give the phone to the receptionist."_

Wordlessly Sasuke took two steps back without turning around, offering the phone to the girl at the desk without looking. Feeling her take the device he walked away, to the hall mouth stopping at the threshold where he would no longer be in the foyer but in the arms of the hall walls.

Inside the classroom the sound of children's voices continued, and someone was calling Haku's name to get him inside, but he remained, unmoved.

"...Hello...Haku." Sasuke murmured slowly, something in the back of his head told him to crouch and just as slowly as he spoke he lowered himself down to Haku's level, keeping his eyes on the child at all times the way he would if he were facing a scared animal.

"Hello." Haku replied slowly, searching his face with mild confusion, his tiny hands clenched to fists at his sides for a moment. A sheen of pink was rising to his pale cheeks and Sasuke felt to his surprise a smile flutter on his lips.  _Hinata._

"Uchiha-san!" The receptionist was calling suddenly, leaning over the reception desk with his phone extended.

Turning slightly towards her, but keeping his eyes on Haku he nodded. "I'll be right there."

"Who are you?" Haku's voice still had the last remnants of baby, the words only a little malformed although clear. The y's were softer than they should be and the w's whispered.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha." Sasuke replied gently. "I am a friend of your-"

"Uncle Sasuke." Haku's eyes widened a little, one foot took a step forward and then he hesitated, his hands tightening again into fists. For a second panic fluttered over his face. Sasuke forced himself to keep his face still at his words, at his name.  _Uncle... damnit I'm a bastard._

"Where's my Mama?"

"She's okay, she's with your sister and we're supposed to meet her, you and me." Wondering if this conversation sounded too much like a kidnappers pick up line Sasuke pointed over his shoulder at the reception desk. "Your teacher just spoke to your mom on the phone, she gave them permission to let you come with me so I can take you to her."

Jaw clenching for a second, and eyes filling with tears Haku eyed the receptionist watching the exchange with curious eyes.

"Sora-chan got hurt."

"Yes, we're going to make sure she's okay."

"At the...  _hospipal_?"

Sasuke nodded.

"Okay." slowly Haku began to walk towards him, looking more and more concerned with each step, his chin wobbling a little as he approached.

"I'll go get his things." The receptionist called, running out from behind the desk and down the hall with a brief touch to Haku's dark hair as she passed.

When Haku was finally standing in front of Sasuke, biting his lip in a way Sasuke found familiar his unofficial uncle extended his hand, from lack of anything else to do.

"Nice to meet you, Haku-kun."

The boy stared at the hand, unsure for a moment before taking it, giving a tiny squeeze and pulling back as though bit.

"Where did you go?" he whispered, and for a moment Sasuke was unsure if he heard his question right. A knot threatened to strangle him in his throat.

"...what...what do you mean?"

But before the child could muster a response the receptionist was back, a backpack and Haku's jacket, gloves, hat and scarf in her hands.

"Here you go, Haku-kun." she smiled, extending the items to Sasuke who took them as he stood.

"Thank you."

"I want mama." Haku whispered, his voice a little more wet than it should have been.

"Let's go then, I'll take you." Sasuke replied, starting to walk towards the door, listening to the tiny steps that followed him out into the snow.

* * *

_"Would you be able to get him something to eat?"_ Hinata sounded distracted, her voice a little shaky and Sasuke pondered if she had been crying. In the background he could hear the sound of a child wailing, and wincing he looked down at Haku who had stopped crying himself at the sound of his mother's voice on the phone explaining slowly and carefully the situation.

But the request made panic flutter in his chest. "I suppose."

_"I'm sorry, Uchiha-san. I just... I don't think he should be here when they're..."_ she paused and spoke briefly and softly to Sora, soothing.  _"They're going to set and cast it right now, and if he's here I think he might..."_

"No, I understand. I'll get him something to eat and we will wait for your call to come?"

_"Yes... thank you so much, Uchiha-san, I don't know... I don't know what I'd be doing right now if-"_

In the background Sora's shriek for her mother made her pause.

"I'll see you later, Hyuuga-san." Sasuke murmured, hanging up the phone before she could reply.

Haku peered up at him, standing quietly and a little shaky by the dark shadow of a man.

"Haku." Sasuke sighed, crouching down again to look at him. "Did you understand what your mother told you?"

"Y...yes." Haku nodded slowly. "I eat, and then mama will call and we will go to see Sora-chan, at the hospipal in an ambulance. "

"No ambulance, but yes." Sasuke nodded. "We will just take the train." Haku looked puzzled. "Okay. Sora went in an ambulance."

Sasuke stared at him for a moment processing what he was saying before nodding. "Yes, I suppose she did, because she was hurt. We are not hurt." Was he dumbing this down for him too much? Did he understand? "We will go on the train."

"Okay." Haku whispered a little softly, looking away.

Standing Sasuke looked around. They had just barely made it to the train station when Haku had lost control of his emotions and burst into loud tears, standing in the middle of the crowd with his hands over his eyes weeping Sasuke had had no other ideas but to call his mother and put her on the phone with him. Listening to her slow soothing voice over the device had made him awed, watching as the tears dried and then disappeared with the seconds ticking by as she spoke. Haku barely said a word, just soft sounds of acquiesce once in a while.

"Is there something you like to eat especially?" He asked, eyeing the different shops that lined the street near the station. McDonalds right? All kids liked McDonalds.

However Haku looked up at him thoughtfully, his mouth pinching together for a moment before forcing himself to say.

"Ramen."

Startled Sasuke looked down at him, and recognized that feeling Hinata had so painfully been unable to put into words as he looked at the child.

"Ramen." He nodded. "Of course... Come on." taking the tiny hand in his he walked through the crowd, suddenly feeling like everything posed a threat. Things had sharp corners, cracks in the sidewalk were aching to trip, strangers eyed the child with interest and he wondered if it was kind or malicious. Feeling tension growing along his shoulders he tightened his hold on the little hand a moment and then stepped into the steamy shop a few feet away from the train station, hearing the welcoming bell as the door opened and closed.

A look was passing over Haku's face as they entered. The smell was familiar, and as Sasuke picked him up and placed him on a stool his eyes brightened, looking at the images of noodles on the board behind the bar counter.

"Noodles." he whispered. "Mama doesn't make noodles anymore."

Sasuke breathed in deep, wondering how much of this he could take before he broke down and had a beer.

"No, I suppose not." He whispered, sitting down beside the child slowly.  _There's probably a lot of things she doesn't do anymore..._

* * *

"I'm so very sorry, Hyuuga-san." The daycare director put a hand on her arm while Hinata stood outside of the Pediatric Unit, listening through the door as her child screamed. Breathing heavily Hinata nodded, her face buried in her hands.

"How did this happen?"

"Sora-chan is very fast... and when our staff realized she was climbing to the top of the playground they went to get her but she jumped. I don't know if you remember our last conversation."

Hinata winced.

_"...daddy is in heaven... daddy is in the sky..."_

"Oh God." She whimpered, hearing finally the door open and the doctor step out, shaking his head, a small smile on his lips.

"Hyuuga-san."

Trembling at her fingertips Hinata walked towards him. "Is she okay? Can I go in?"

"She's upset, but she's okay. Most of the screaming was for show. It is not painless but much more comfortable than she is letting on." He chuckled mildly, taking his gloves off. "She's got spunk."

Hinata blinked at him. "S-spunk."

"Yes, I haven't had a little one fight so hard before. I think you may be looking at many more broken bones in the future, unfortunately. She only has a hairline fracture. Little ones have pretty bendy bones until later on so thankfully it wasn't a complete break."

"Oh thank god."

"No getting it wet for the next few months, and painkillers as she needs to keep her comfortable but besides that let her go about her business. Perhaps with less jumping off of things, if possible."

"Thank you, thank you." Hinata whispered, pushing past him into the room quickly, digging her phone out of her pocket with her hands shaking.

In the hospital room several different beds were spread out over the length of the walls, separated by curtains with teddy bears and stars. Sora lay in the first bed, looking with a grumpy expression at the ceiling where a poster of a sky had been tacked.

"Sora-chan." Hinata whispered, pressing the button to dial Sasuke's number as she sat beside her baby, watching her frown more deeply and refuse to look at her, jaw set.

Phone ringing at her ear Hinata blinked. "Sora-chan, how are you baby?" Slowly she traced the line of the bright pink cast that coated one tiny chubby arm, taking a deep soul shuddering breath.

"No talk." Sora whimpered, and her bottom lip gave a shake that spoke volumes as her blue eyes filled with tears.

Sighing Hinata opened her mouth to speak again and paused, hearing Sasuke's voice in her ear suddenly.

_"Hyuuga-san?"_

"Uchiha-san, Sora's done... I think they're just waiting for her x-rays to come in and then we are free to go, would you rather meet me at my apartment? I'm so sorry, this is taking literally all evening."

_"Whichever you would prefer is fine."_ In the background Hinata started, hearing Kiba's voice. " _Hi, Hyuuga-san!"_

"Inuzuka?" she sounded startled.

_"...yes."_ Sasuke's less than pleased tone made her smile _. "He was asking what happened and after I explained he...found me."_

"O-oh.." Hinata stuttered. "Okay... well, I... where are you guys? Is Haku-kun okay?"

_"We're finishing...supper."_ Sasuke supplied, sounding mildly distracted _. "We will head to the apartment as soon as Haku finishes."_

"Okay. I'll see you all there. It may take me a little while yet, since I have to wait for the x-rays and I have to take the train and walk a little ways..." feeling overwhelmed a little Hinata sighed, blinking back at Sora who was staring at her with eyes hooded by medication.

_"Do you have a spare key?"_

"On top of the door frame. Thank you, Uchiha-san. I'll see you in a bit."

Thankful that he wasn't a chatter box she hung up, smiling weakly at the blue eyes fixed on her.

"Almost ready to go, Sora-chan?" Hinata whispered, running her hand through the tiny blonde locks of hair around her baby's face.

Sora's mouth was in a deep heartfelt frown, softening as her mother's touch relaxed her tense little shoulders. "Mine broke!" she lifted her cast arm pitifully, showing her mom the thing on her arm and pulling on it with her other hand without success. "Mine broke!"

Sighing Hinata leaned over, picking her baby up and curling her tiny body up against her, kissing her forehead as her daughter began to sob again, soothing her with soft words.

Naruto was the one who knew who Sora was, who knew what she wanted. He would have made a joke about her arm needing to be amputated. He would have nibbled on it and said it would make a delicious roast to make her giggle. He would have pulled out a pen and made a drawing on her cast to make her love it.

But Hinata was tired and holding her child close to her heart all she could do was sit there in the chair and let her cry, willing herself not to follow her example.

At long last when the doctor gave Sora the all clear to leave Hinata stood in the foyer, studying the snow falling in fat flakes still from the sky. The slush at the entrance of the hospital doors told her it would be freezing outside and looking down at herself, at her high heels and pencil skirt, her thin white blouse and blazer she sighed. She had forgot all of her things in the teacher's lounge at school. Thankfully Sora was nicely bundled up in her arms but it was a good twenty minutes back to the apartment from here and she would have to walk at least half of it in the freezing wind.

Biting her lip and steeling herself to move forward Hinata paused, startled to see a familiar shape heading towards the doors of the hospital only to stop at the sight of her just inside the threshold. For a moment they looked at each other through the glass doors, blinking back and forth. Him in the darkness of the evening lit only by the twinkle lights on the trees that lined the entrance, her in the blazing shock of hospital lightbulbs.

His eyes didn't leave her face and she realized that although he wasn't smiling at her something about his expression was different. Studying him in the stillness she couldn't put her finger on what. With the snow falling behind him and hiding his mouth behind the high neck of his coat he cocked his head just a little to the right, waiting.

"It Kiki." Sora whispered, peering at Sasuke through the door, pointing her pink cast at him.

Slowly he raised his arm, where he held her jacket, scarf and gloves. Blinking rapidly Hinata felt a wave of emotion overwhelm her for a moment and tears rise up to her eyes.

_I am so tired._ Chiding herself for her tears she stepped out into the cold, shivering as the wind smacked her with a flurry of snow flakes.

"How did you-?" she began startled when he reached out and took Sora from her as though it were the most natural thing in the world, passing her the jacket. The girl said nothing just blinked at him thoughtfully, raising her arm up to show. "Pink!"

Sasuke peered at her, studying the tiny face with something in his eyes that looked almost gentle.

"Yes."

Taking the coat from him Hinata watched, pulling it over her shoulders absently, fascinated with Sora's grin at his reply. "Mine broke!"

"That's what I heard."

"Pink."

"Yes."

"Sora-chan," Hinata sighed, finally throwing her scarf over her shoulder and extending her arms to her baby. "Here."

Surprising them both Sora leaned into Sasuke her blue eyes consuming his vision as she nearly pressed her nose to his. "Kiki." she whispered.

"Kiki?" Sasuke blinked at her momentarily, before turning his dark eyes back to her mother who blushed hard. "Um... the first night you gave her a cookie."

"Kiki." Sora repeated, looking at him expectantly. Sasuke blinked and pulled out of his pocket one of the candies that he had been given at the ramen shop as they left. "I don't have a cookie demo-"

"Thanks!" Sora's eyes lit up with delight as he unwrapped it.

"Where's Haku?" Hinata finally asked, although she had figured it out.

"With Kiba, at your apartment." Sasuke replied, glancing at her as they began to walk, marvelling at how light Sora was even in her mess of scarves, hat, gloves, sweaters and coats.

Happily the girl sat in his grip, sucking on the candy.

"Ugh." Hinata sighed deeply, rubbing her face. "I owe you both so much... Thank you for all your help. I don't... I don't even know what to say." She paused for a second, wincing at the wobble in her voice, taking a deep breath to calm herself. Sasuke walked along beside her, looking ahead.

"You don't owe me anything, it's fine."

"Thank you, Uchiha-san."

"It Kiki." Sora said thickly through the mess of sugar in her mouth, correcting her mother. "Kiki."

"I think.." Hinata blinked at her daughter, sliding her eyes from the blue to the onyx black of his gaze. "I think you just got renamed."

"Fantastic." Sasuke sighed, and although he sounded less than pleased Hinata thought she saw a smirk play on his lips behind the tall barrier of his coat.

* * *

"Stop it!" Kiba laughed, washing his hands in Hinata's tiny apartment kitchen. With both the men in the room she realized all of a sudden how incredibly small her home was. They moved around it like giants, bumping into shelves, into door ways. Kiba had already knocked himself on the head on one of her cupboards.

"I'm just... I really appreciate it so much." Hinata continued, glancing at Sasuke who had been promptly thrown onto the floor by Sora upon entering and after removing all of her outer layers she had planted herself on his lap. Watching her shows with a determined expression on her face while chewing on a sandwich.

If his expression had not been so incredibly unconcerned she would have been worried, as it was she just stared, puzzled.

Haku lay in her lap on the other side of the table, breathing in the scent of his mother and finally relaxing his shoulders which he had held so tense from the moment he saw Sora's body snap to a stop on the playground floor.

"Hyuuga-san, it's fine. And your kids are great, if you had a bratty child maybe I'd be trying to blackmail you into inviting us to Christmas dinner or something." He laughed. Sasuke, who had appeared as though he wasn't listening suddenly looked up, black eyes snapping to his friends with an expression of disdain. However his mouth did not move, instead he felt his jaw clench shut, muscles tensing.

Hinata blinked at Kiba. "Christmas dinner? I... I didn't think it was a thing here..."

"It's not, it'd be interesting to see what you guys did out west though. Isn't it a big production?" Kiba continued, his voice relaxed although Sasuke noticed he had been washing his hands for a surprisingly long time.

Hinata paused, putting a hand on her lips thoughtfully. "I... yes, it is... I was... well if you'd like to come actually, we were just... the kids and I..." she blinked, feeling flustered as the words bumped together in her brain before coming out in a nice neat line. "I had no plans, yet..." she admitted slowly, one hand trailing over Haku's dark hair, petting him like a snoozing cat.

"Don't do that." Sasuke suddenly spoke up, making her turn sharply to him, his eyes lingered on her without restraint making her look away after a moment. "It's okay, we don't want to intrude." his gaze flickered to Kiba who glared back at him behind Hinata's back, sticking his tongue out for a second.

Hinata shook her head. "No...I actually, it would be nice to have guests. I would love it if you came, please."

Biting the inside of his cheek Sasuke let his eyes drift from Hinata to Kiba who grinned at her when she turned back to him. "You're awesome, Hyuuga-san. Is there anything we can bring?"

"I... don't think so- no..."

"We should go." Sasuke suddenly put in, moving the gradually limp body of Sora from his lap onto her little cushion-y chair, throwing a nearby blanket on her before straightening. Hinata watched his movements with care, a frown flickering over her face for a second before nodding. "Of course, you must be so tired. I'm so sorry about all this."

"Stop," Kiba shook his head, giving her a soft pat on the shoulder. "We're glad we could help."

Together the two men moved to the hall and Hinata stood, following them only to the edge of the family room, peering down the hall at them with Haku asleep in her arms. Standing there by herself with the boy in her grip Sasuke realized how small she was. Haku was almost five but despite it she held him in her arms as though he were a baby, his feet dangling long past her hip nearly to her knees, his arms limp around her neck.

Kiba stepped out first, yelling out a "Good bye!" as he waved. Sasuke paused at the door blinking at her for a moment. "You'll be okay?"

Surprised Hinata nodded. "Yes... thank you, I'll be fine."

"Shall I inform Tsunade-san that you won't be at work tomorrow?"

Hinata shook her head, offering him a tentative smile that made his stomach tighten painfully. "I will be in. I can't really miss anymore work and Sora's fine... we will all be a little more tired than usual, maybe." She shrugged. "But that's okay."

He hesitated for one second longer and then nodded. "Good night." 

Hinata watched him go, a curious look passing over her face as the door closed. If only she knew why she felt so strange.


	9. Chapter 9

_I tried to talk to Neji about Hinata the other day. I tried to explain that I was worried. She loves our kids so much Sasuke. I see it when she wakes up with them at six in the morning. Doesn't matter that Sora's been up all through the night keeping her awake. She drags herself out of bed and makes them breakfast, smiles while she does it. Like they're giving her a gift._

_But I caught her putting a baby book in the toaster this morning without realizing it and I'm getting scared. I leave her with them all day, I come home and I do as much as I can around the house. I wake up with Sora but she still looks like she could fall asleep standing up. Sora's happy, she gets to have her mom whenever she wants but I don't even know if Hinata eats before I come home for dinner._

_I know that if I was alone with them all day I would probably be similar but I'm freaking out. I barely get to have two word conversations with her some days. I watch her sometimes while I finish washing dishes or whatever and the way her eyes light up when Haku tells her a story or Sora brings her books to read makes me hurt a little. I don't know what would happen to me if one of my kids died, Sasuke, but I know what would happen to her and that alone frightens me._

_Talking to Neji was a waste of time. He took it like I was saying she couldn't handle it and you know the Hyuuga- there's nothing they can't handle. I'm not sure how to help her._

_You would get it though, if you were here. I think you guys would probably have ended up being friends so long as you weren't too much of a dick, which I know is hard for you but sometimes you manage it, right? I think you would have seen what I am seeing and unlike the rest of her stupid brood you would have backed me up. I'm always looking behind me expecting to see you with your idiot face pretending it wasn't a big deal that you left... but you're never there._

_Haku is four now, I talk about you so much he speaks about you the way other kids discuss Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy. I sometimes wonder if he believes me that you exist or if like all clever kids he just goes along with my stories because he finds them interesting even though he doesn't think they're true._

_Sometimes I wonder if they're true too or if maybe I imagined them._

_Wish you would reply. I'm hoping to see you again someday_

_-Naruto_

Together with Kiba, Sasuke stared at the door of Hinata's apartment, feeling the chill of the cold on his finger tips and nose. On the other side of the barrier screams of delight from Sora abounded making Kiba's face spread broadly with a grin.

"That kid." he murmured, shuffling the delicately wrapped boxes in his arms. Next to him Sasuke held a fruitcake. He had expressly told Kiba  _not_  to get a fruitcake, that they were awful and there was an ongoing joke in the west by most sane people that fruitcake was disgusting. Yet there it was, in it's crinkly wrap with a bow on top, grossing him out.

"Kiki here! Kiki here!" the shriek was muffled on the other side of the door. Kiba glanced at him as someone fiddled with the door knob but clearly couldn't open it all on their own.

"Your fanclub is expanding it's age group." he said seriously, looking impressed. " _Amazing_."

"Shut. Up." Sasuke snapped just as the door opened and Hinata peeked out at them, wide eyed and a little flustered with Sora pushing to get past her between her legs and Haku trying to peer around her skirt into the hall.

"Hi!" she gasped, stepping out of the way as Sora stormed towards Sasuke.

"You look nice!" Kiba commented suddenly, making Sasuke glance up from the toddler grabbing onto his legs to study her at his friend's words.

She did. The dress she wore was a gentle off white, delicate patterns of snowflakes trailed from the black hem up to the hips accenting the curves of her waist as it wrapped around her torso. Only a small necklace lingered on her collarbone as decoration, glittering in the light. Sasuke found himself staring at it for a long moment, trying to comprehend what he was seeing at the end of that chain.

It was her wedding ring.

"Ah! Um... th-thank you!" Hinata gasped looking down at herself as though just realizing she was in fact wearing clothes, her face lighting up like a furnace at Kiba's words.

He smiled, cocking his head at her. "And it smells wonderful in there, you've been busy!"

"P-please, come in!" she stuttered, hiding her face behind her hair as she opened the door fully and wandered quickly back into the kitchen.

Without taking his eyes off her Kiba muttered. "If she gets any cuter I'm going to squish her."

Blinking, Sasuke looked at him, mindlessly complying to Sora's adamant demands that he pick her up.

"I don't think that sounds as innocent as you think it does." he ventured slowly. Sora looked back at Kiba now level with his head in Sasuke's arms. "Nonocent."

"Nonocent." Kiba replied, pushing her hair back then giving Sasuke the stink eye. "Don't be dumb." And in the house they went.

Haku shadowed them, in the hall and at the family room, fluttering around like a moth just outside of their reach but watching. His blue eyes fixated on the men as they dropped the boxes by the hall, commenting to Haku that maybe some of those were for him.

"For me?" Haku's voice was feather soft, his gaze lingered on Sasuke before going to his mom. "Oka-san!"

"Oh you did not have to do that." Hinata sighed from the kitchen, pulling out plates and knives slowly, her face still burning.

"Don't worry about it." Kiba waved her off as he settled down on the ground in front of Haku. "Uchiha-san and I thought that maybe you'd like to have some surprises today. Maybe after dinner we can open them?"

Flickering his eyes between the still dark form of Sasuke leaning against the wall with Sora in his grip and Kiba's expectant face he nodded. "...Yes please."

"And I brought a fruit cake!" Kiba announced, like it was a good thing. Hinata laughed, pulling a roast chicken out of the oven slowly. Her apartment simply could not handle the thought of a turkey.

"Where did you even find one?"

"Oh someplace. I didn't spend all afternoon on Thursday looking for it or anything." Kiba supplied candidly. "Uchiha-san however says they're awful."

Haku nodded, making a face. "Ick."

"Darn it." Kiba started. "He wasn't lying."

"Uncle Sasuke doesn't lie." Haku frowned at him, glancing at the startled form by the wall again.

Kiba froze, studying the little one's face with newfound interest. "Uncle Sasuke, huh?"

As Haku wandered to the presents, picking them up and giving them little shakes Kiba glanced up at Sasuke from his position on the floor, eyes wide. "When did that happen?"

Sasuke shook his head in reply, following Haku's little movements with his dark eyes, aware that in the kitchen Hinata had missed the exchange. What would she do if she heard him? What would  _he_  do?

"Kiki." Sora stated suddenly, bringing him back to focus on her face with one chubby hand to his cheek. "Mine broke, it scratchy." she waved her pink cast in his face. "Scratchy scratchy."

"She's itchy." Hinata called, giving a tired sigh. "All the time, she's itchy."

"That would be maddening." Kiba winced, taking the salad bowl and the mashed potatoes from her as she wandered over. "Let me help."

"Ah, thank you." Hinata smiled, then glanced over at the table. "I think that's everything though."

"Eating food!" Sora yelled, raising her arms up and bopping Sasuke's head on the way with her cast. He laughed. The sound was delicious in it's depth and resonance, it caught Hinata's attention like a shooting star in a calm dark sky and something tensed in her belly.

Together Kiba and Hinata started at the sound, gray eyes met onyx for a second and Hinata felt her mouth part slightly, words caught on her tongue that she couldn't quite figure out. Abruptly she just smiled back.

"You are a lucky charm, Sora-chan." Kiba commented, putting the food down on the table. Heat was rising to Sasuke's neck and ears. Running a hand hard through his wild hair he settled on the floor with Sora firmly planted in his lap, trying not to meet anyone's eyes for a minute.

"Thank you..." Hinata began, as she dished out for her kids, feeling herself blush. "...for being here..."

"You're insane, you don't have to thank us no way." Kiba replied, plopping a heaping spoon of mashed potato on his plate. "You're feeding me, I'm happy. Thank _you_."

Hinata watched him for a second, trying to ignore the rising water in her vision, out of the corner of her eye she watched as Sora picked up a bun, turning to Sasuke and shoving it into his mouth without warning.

For a moment embarrassment rose in her face, apologetic words catching in her throat as he took a bite and handed it back to her, unaffected. Beside him Haku lingered, not quite close and not too far, watching the interaction with as much interest as Hinata was.

"Well, if you ever need a babysitter." Kiba smirked, passing her a glass. Hinata blinked at him for a moment and then laughed, watching the dark look that Sasuke threw at his friend over Sora's head.

_I'm so glad they're here._ Surprised Hinata pressed her hands against her knees to keep them from trembling, finally recognizing that feeling she had had the night of the hospital.  _I'm so glad._

* * *

_He hesitated to give them to her, at the door. While Kiba had already put his shoes on and waved good bye Sasuke lingered, listening to Sora's little voice as she tried to explain something to him that he simply could not understand but found incredibly interesting anyway. Finally finished her oration the girl turned and skipped back inside her apartment, leaving her mother and Sasuke at the door by themselves._

_She was shivering in the cold of the hallway, and wrapping her sweater around her waist she leaned out of the doorway, glancing down the hall to see how far Kiba had gone._

_"Thank you for coming, Uchiha-san." She murmured, looking back to him, a bit puzzled by his lingering._

_Sasuke nodded, trying to not look at her too closely. The thing about her, he was realizing, was that out of the corner of his eye she was manageable. He could handle the scent of lavender on her hair, the way the locks flowed like ink in a bottle along her smooth cheek and down her back. He could deal with her small hands delicately handling objects or twisting in her lap with nerves._

_But if he looked at her, took it all in at once, stared into her gray eyes and caught the emotions flickering there he felt the tsunami of who she was overwhelm him. The letters he had been reading would flip through his mind like the snowflakes falling outside, little pin pricks of light that described her so accurately._

_Naruto had loved this woman. He had known her every aspect, had kissed every molecule and adored every flaw, if there were any. Sasuke was in the awful place of knowing what he meant, of understanding his enchantment and being almost repulsed by it. He couldn't look at her that way. Simply could not. So he chose, as often as possible to just not look at her at all._

_"I... " he paused, pulling his bag around his side and opening it. "I got you and the kids something else."_

_"Oh no..." Hinata sighed, feeling her face heat again. It had been happening too much. Her body was a juxtaposition of feeling cold in her limbs and hot in her face. It was making her dizzy. "Uchiha-san... you did not have to do that at all, please."_

_"Don't." Sasuke said it gently, pulling three small packages wrapped in brown paper and tied with twine. "It's not a big deal. And here." He placed three letters on top, Naruto's writing recognizable instantly. Hinata's hands hesitated to take the packages she had been about ready to receive, her face paling rapidly at the sight of the letters._

_"Oh.." she whispered, her fingers lingering on the gift, not quite holding on to it. He felt her cold fingers brush his and in a moment of impatience took her hand, passing her the items by force._

_"They're three of the December letters he wrote to me." He whispered, watching her eyes fill with tears as she brought the items close to her body, holding them delicately against her chest._

_"I... I don't know if I..."_

_"Save them for later then." He watched as she studied the writing on the envelope, biting her lip in that way that made him look elsewhere._

_"Okay... Thank you, Uchiha-san."_

_He shook his head. "See you at the New Years Festival then."_

_"Right...okay." she sighed, stepping back into the apartment as he left. He had the bad luck of catching the wounded expression on her face as she closed the door._

"So, she's been reading the letters too then?" Kiba blinked at him as they walked towards the drumming in the distance at the shinto temple. He winced slightly at Sasuke's lack of response and then frowned. "This Naruto guy... like... I'm sorry he's gone and everything but man he's being a downer on both of you lately."

Sasuke sighed and looked at him, too tired to articulate how incredibly irritating his half joke had been. Kiba smiled weakly in apology. "Sorry. I just don't want both of you to be on my suicide watch list because of those letters."

"They're from her husband, she should have them."

"They were for you though."

"You really think she has no rights to what he wrote?"

"Do you really think she can handle it?" Kiba countered, and the hesitation on the Uchiha's face made him nod. "See? You're not even sure if she should be reading those. That's all I'm saying. It could be bad."

Mulling this over Sasuke stopped, startled. Down the road just at the edge of the festivities with the light pouring out of the lanterns and twinkle lights that were spread across the street in ribbons he could see two children jumping around. Their little kimono outlining their tiny frames against the light of the vendor stalls and the moving mass of bodies in the market aisle.

Sitting beside them on a bench was Hinata, laughing at something that Haku said.

Kiba continued on, and then paused, looking back at him confusedly. "What?" He turned following Sasuke's dark eyes.

"Oh."

Hinata had her hands neatly in her lap, watching her kids dancing in the evening light. Behind her the glow of the market set her hair into indigo shades that were a myriad of different hues. The kimono hugged her in all the right places, accenting the delicate collar bone at the neck, highlighting the pale startling gray of her eyes.

"What is it about women and kimono?" Kiba whispered, swallowing.

Catching the breathless tone in his voice Sasuke looked at him, ripping his eyes off Hinata with more difficulty than he would like to admit. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't be daft, I saw the look on your face." Kiba murmured, keeping his voice low as he studied the Hyuuga some more.

"Don't be an idiot." Sasuke replied, feeling panic flutter in his chest.

Kiba finally turned to look back at him, jaw clenching. "You would be the idiot if you kept up this nonsense. If you look at a woman like that it's because you see her- actually, see her- not just her atoms all bunched together. I know you, Sasuke."

Startled by the sound of his name on Kiba's lips Sasuke looked away, jaw tight.

"She's...she sort of glows, okay?" Kiba continued hesitantly, swallowing. "If you don't make a move, someone else will."

A ringing had begun in Sasuke's ears that he couldn't figure out. Carefully Sasuke looked back at Kiba who had yet to take his eyes from his face.

"You mean you?" The words came out hard, much sharper than he had intended and for a moment shame flooded him so bad his neck burned.

"Maybe." Kiba frowned at him. "Don't pretend it would be bad form either. You've only recently started treating her like a human being. Not that it matters though." He shrugged. "She may be shy but she's got her own mind." He smirked then, giving his friend a pat on the shoulder that seemed to dispel the tension with the touch. "If she can throw your shit back at you the way she did the first few months it doesn't matter what we want, she'll figure it out what she needs and do that." he shrugged. "So maybe let's not get ahead of ourselves, ya?" He laughed, starting towards her and the kids.

At the sight of him Sora and Haku brightened, their excitement at the festivities behind them palpable even from a distance. Sasuke watched as Kiba reached them, picking both up under his arms like sacks of potatoes inducing shrieks of laughter. 

"You'd be the better choice..." Sasuke whispered, realizing, abruptly what kind of trouble he was in.

* * *

"Will there be fireworks?" Haku asked. Sometime during the long walk through the market he had taken Sasuke's hand. He responded to Kiba, Hinata noticed it, with smiles and giggles. But it was Sasuke who captured his imagination somehow. Still a little puzzled Hinata watched, walking behind them with Sora's hand in hers.

"Yes, at midnight when the New Year begins." Sasuke replied calmly, glancing down at him and watching his face light up with anticipation.

"I didn't... I just didn't think..." Hinata drifted off, trying to piece together the Sasuke she was looking at and the arrogant irritating person who had welcomed her so harshly into her new life.

"You thought kids would hide from him the way they fear the boogeyman right?" Kiba smirked, nodding. "So did I. I kind of still think he's the boogeyman."

Hinata smiled, feeling Sora let go and run forward, waving her tiny kimono clad arms at Sasuke until he picked her up, startled as she scrambled from his grip onto his shoulders like a billy goat.

"Your kids are weird, is what it comes down to." Kiba laughed and Hinata's grin broadened.

_"Look at her!" Naruto shouted from the kitchen. At eighteen months old Sora was still young enough that a scream like that had Hinata tumbling over the laundry she had been folding. Scampering down the stairs two at a time she slid the last two and nearly landed on her bum on the ground floor, staring into her living room where Naruto was standing with his hands in his hair, staring._

_Sora was in the book case. On either side of the fireplace were two tall white shelves, reaching straight to the ceiling. Happily Sora lay curled on the second highest shelf. Soother moving with her contented sucking, her diaper clad bum stuck up in the air and her head down in her most comfortable sleeping position she looked completely at ease._

_A wild frightened panic clawed up Hinata's body, making her scramble over the couch, nearly stepping on the snoozing Haku that lay curled there, uninterested in his family's affairs._

_"N-naruto! Get her down!" Hinata gasped, reaching up and finding to her terror that she was just a little too short._

_"I have to get a picture though!" Naruto shouted back with excitement, making her realize in that moment that the only person in the house who was scared was her._

_Turning to look at her husband with disbelief clearly spelled all over her face Hinata sucked in a breath. "No pictures! This is awful!"_

_"It's amazing!"_

_"She's going to fall!"_

_"Nah, I'm right here, Hina-chan!" He aimed at the precious thing on the top shelf, getting a good picture of her unorthodox method of relaxing and then grinned at his wife, flashing her the phone. "Baby book material, I swear!"_

_Hands in her hair Hinata took another breath. "Please get my baby girl down, Naruto!"_

_"Oh honey." He laughed, grabbing her by the waist and planting a loud smooch on her suddenly red face. "You better get used to this. She's my kid."_

_"But she-!"_

_"Think about it." he continued, walking over to Sora who was fast falling asleep. "Think about all the crazy crap I did growing up."_

_Wincing, Hinata buried her face in her hands. "But-"_

_"I mean, we're a weird family, let's just be honest for a moment."_

_"Naruto!"_

_Cradling the sleeping bit of human in his arms Naruto grinned again, blue eyes searching the sleeping face with care. "Think about all the awesome things she's going to get to do because of that fearlessness."_

_Pausing, Hinata stared, watching the fascination bloom on her husbands face, slowing her heart rate with his smile._

_"Fearlessness..."_

_"Or weirdness, I mean...same thing." he laughed, turning to look at her, smiling, eyes shining._

"Yes." Hinata nodded. "They are weird."

Kiba's grin matched hers for a moment. "Well at least you know."

"I want!" Sora's scream was accompanied by Haku's more calm agreement. He ran forward towards a stand, watching as curling twisted potatoes were pushed into hot tubs of boiling oil, coming out crispy and delicious before being sprinkled with salt.

"You just had dinner though," Hinata began, only to have Sasuke wave at her softly. "Here." He handed money to Haku. "Go ahead."

Dumbfounded, the boy looked at him, holding the coins in his hand like they were gold. "O...Okay..." he whispered, turning to the man on the other side of the booth. In hesitant shaky Japanese Haku ordered, his eyes so big in his face they reflected the lights behind the server.

Hinata watched, startled as the words flowed from his mouth.

"They learn really fast at this age." Kiba murmured beside her, making her snap out of her thoughts.

"Yes- they... I didn't know he..."

"Probably won't have an accent at all by this time next year."

"Potato!" Sora waved her arms wildly above Sasuke's head. "Yay!"

Curiously Hinata watched as people admired her daughter and Sasuke as they walked by. The grins and smiles were shared among them as they passed, some even stopping to gaze for a moment. Younger girls whispered to each other as they blushed, hiding their admiration behind the sleeves of their kimonos and their scarves.

"I'm glad you came." Kiba stated suddenly as they watched, making her tear her gaze from the admiring crowd passing by her children.

"Oh." Hinata began, looking over at him. "Thank you for inviting us, I... I wouldn't have had the courage to..."

"No, I mean- I'm glad you're here, instead of wherever you're from." he shrugged, smiling gently at her. "I know... it's not exactly been easy on you but, I just wanted you to know that I'm glad to get to know you and your kids." He shrugged again, perhaps a tad nervously, nodding towards Sasuke.

"I'm pretty sure that he's probably more glad than I am, but if he admits it he might melt or explode or something."

Surprised at the turn in the conversation Hinata blinked at Kiba. "Uchiha-san was rather upset at my arrival actually."

"Yeah." Kiba nodded, not wanting to delve into the death of her husband he continued. "He's not great at the emotions thing."

Haku rushed forward, holding the curly potato on a stick in one hand, dusted with salt and pepper. "Oka-san! Blow on it? It's so hot!"

"Of course, Haku-kun." She smiled, taking the stick from him and beginning to blow, glancing up to see Sasuke doing the same for Sora's, trying to peer at her from between the locks of black hair she was pushing down on his head.

Naruto's voice whispered through her, and she nearly dropped the stick in her hand as the memory ripped through the moment, a lightening bolt in her mind.

_"Hina I know you hate these letters."_

_"I...I do."_

_"But you don't understand."_

_"No, I don't."_

_"He's like my brother, Hina-chan."_

_"But...Naruto. He...he left, and..."_

_"If something were to happen to me, if something awful were to take place..."_

_"Don't. Don't talk like that."_

_"No, I'm serious, let me tell you."_

_"I... I don't want to hear it, Naruto please... I..it scares me."_

_"Listen, please. If something were to happen to me." His hands had wrapped around her wrists, drawing her in even as she pulled away. This argument was always the one that made her the most sick, the one that made her want to cry. The thought of him not being there, the thought of his smile and his face not beside her in the morning making her stomach drop away, making her life spill out of her body, leaving her cold._

_"The only person I could ever think of who I could trust to keep you all safe would be him. I know you don't understand that because he took off but... Sasuke's a hard nut to crack. He's not easy to understand."_

_"I wouldn't trust him! I can't believe you're saying that. What about Neji-nii-san? What about Shikamaru-kun? What about-?"_

_"Hinata. Sasuke would do anything for you and the kids. Just because you were mine. He would."_

_"You...you can't possibly know that."_

_"Well, the man I knew, he would. Maybe you're right, and I can't be a hundred percent sure, but...I have to write these letters. I just do. I won't give up on him."_

_"...Okay, Naruto." A sigh of defeat, an acceptance of a wound._

_"I'm sorry, Hina..."_

_"No, I know..." his lips had trailed her neck, biting at the soft skin beneath her jaw gently, making her sigh._

_"I love you."_

She couldn't remember who had said the last sentence, was it him, or had it been her?

A sudden sound of bells tolling made her turn, looking around distractedly, feeling the ghost touch of lips at the edge of her collarbone. "What's that?"

"It's time." Kiba called, picking Haku up and throwing him on his shoulders quickly. "We should find a spot to sit, the fireworks are gonna go off any minute!"

"Fire!" Sora yelled, trying to scramble off of Sasuke rapidly, using him much like a fire hall pole to the ground. "Fire!"

"Fire works." Hinata corrected, a little unfocused, rubbing her neck.

"Look up there." Kiba called, watching as people began to conjugate near the shrine steps. "If we run we can get that spot on the hill, there's no trees near it we should be able to see the fireworks perfectly!"

"Fast!" Sora shouted, moving to run, her chubby little legs pumping hard. "I got her!" Kiba yelled, running after her with Haku on his shoulders giggling.

Hinata stayed, feeling suddenly a weight that had been hovering over her settle nice and thick onto her back and shoulders. Tiredly she sighed, glancing at her watch and the time ticking relentlessly towards the New Year.

Beside her Sasuke watched as Kiba managed to get the kids up on the quickly filling hillside, waving his arm at them. Sasuke waved back, unsure of how they would manage to get all the way there in the sudden press of bodies around. Beside him Hinata gasped, feeling the push of people trying to jostle close.

He studied her momentarily, attempting as per usual to keep his eyes from lingering too long. "Are you okay?"

Hinata kept her face turned away, as though searching for something. "Yes...I'm... I'm okay."

The sound of an explosion made her jump beside him, instinctively drawing closer and together they looked up in time to see the sky burst into light. Colors danced over their faces. Off in the distance Sora's excited shriek cut through the crowds murmur. As the colors rained down, a rainbow slayed by the beauty of the stars beyond it, she breathed in.

"He loved fireworks." Hinata whispered, and had she not been pressed to him by the crowd he would have missed it. Surprised, he looked down to her face. Her pale eyes searched the heavens, drinking in the dark and the dancing fire that flickered through it with each blast.

"Every year we watched them at home, and even though Haku was scared at first by the end he was just...shrieking with excitement, because his daddy loved them, he loved them."

It didn't matter what beauty was occurring up above in the heavens. Sasuke watched it reflected in her pale gaze, feeling a fear he was unfamiliar with start to tighten around his throat.

"He did this thing where he made a wish when the New Year started, that he would get to see you." she continued, her gaze finally turning to his. As she turned he could see finally the desperation and tears trailing down her face, unchecked.

Unable to look away he breathed, feeling the smell of her perfume or her body or whatever it was that made her scent intoxicate fill his lungs.

"I envy him." she whimpered. "He had the chance, the hope that you would return but I... we...there's no wishing today for me...for us. He's gone."

Startled by the feel of his fingers on her cheek she gasped, unable to move as he wiped away a tear, staring into her in a way she had never seen him do before. As if he were trying to figure out what was in the depths of her, a place she didn't know herself.

"I envy him too."

Up above her the stars and fire fought for dominance, just like the sudden guilt and shock fought inside of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have made a point of removing most romanji, as there was quite a bit in it before, in the first draft. Please let me know if I have missed any that is particularly grating. I have kept things like the suffixes used for names. I believe that is all though. That is the intention, at least. If there is more I would love getting help weeding it out. 
> 
> Thank you so much for the lovely messages of encouragement and the kudos. Much appreciated.   
> Inky


	10. Chapter 10

_...I spent a good chunk of time after you left moping. I realize that's not like me, and you're probably like "Sure, whatever dobe, five minutes of being sad doesn't count as moping." But it was longer than that. it was a lot longer than that._

_I looked for you, for one thing. I used to tell everyone and then HInata later when we were together that I went to visit you at your university but all I did was go to places that had a Sasuke enlisted or an Uchiha hoping that they were you. I may have met some very distant relatives of yours in my weird adventures._

_I have thought a lot about what happened, and I seriously think that if you were to just stop the silent treatment and talked to me about it we might be able to get somewhere. You might even feel better, but this bullshit move you pulled with taking off I just didn't expect._

_I guess I should have, if I had been a better friend._

_I should have said something to social services about your drinking, for instance. Or the teachers about you not talking to me but I have always known you to be strong, Sasuke. I honestly couldn't even entertain the idea of this thing taking over your life. Now I know how it felt. Your brother died... he disappeared and now I'm in this boat with you realizing how much it sucks and how hard it is to let go, since ya know, you managed to do the same thing to me._

_The thing that I can't let go of though is that I do actually know you, unlike everyone else who took your cocky crappy attitude and then your drunk rants at face value. I knew you were just sitting in there screaming because you couldn't possibly understand how to live alone._

_I wish you knew you aren't alone, I wish you knew how much I do love you. And since I'm being painfully cheesy, my family loves you. They don't even know you, Hinata may not trust you but your welfare would be her top priority if you showed up. She's just like that. And my kids? Haku thinks you're some sort of fantastical creature that fought battles with me when we were young. He listens to stories of us before bed like it's the Round Table I'm talking about._

_Sora's little, but if she's anything like me she'll see through your shit and hopefully will knock you around with the sheer amount of cute that kid can wield like a mace._

_Life is happening, Sasuke. It's happening for me and out there somewhere it's happening for you and I just pray, I really do, that you're not drinking it away. What a waste that would be. What a fucking shame._

_Your brother always,_

_Naruto_

The letter was heavier than the others. He had written it on a different kind paper so that the folds were thick in the envelope, the letters more crisp with his pen. Eyes lingering on certain words written with more force Sasuke traced the paper with his thumb, feeling along the bottom.

_...Your brother always..._

It was earlier than he had thought it would be, and he had arrived at the school to find all the lights off. The sun was not up but it wasn't unlike him to arrive as the dawn began to break across the horizon, spilling it's colors over the sullen night like a bucket of cold water on a fire.

Sleeping had evaded him after waking in the twilight, and reading the letter he held in his hand had not helped. Jaw tight he glanced over it again, letting certain words drift from the page, pummeling him in the gut the way Naruto's fists used to when he got out of line.

Leaning against the school gates he let his head rest on the concrete beside him, the wash of the sunlight from the dawn setting the scene into a glittering mass of sparkles. The drip drip of slowly melting icicles on the metal of the school gate and the deep breath of the hardened snow beginning to thaw made him sigh. He was done with winter, with long dark nights, freezing mornings and short days.

"...Uchiha-san."

He stiffened, unable to keep the tension from snapping into place along his shoulders as he turned to look at her standing at the school gate with her nose buried into her scarf and her eyes as big and wide as the clouds drifting by in the sky.

Purposefully he had avoided her for the rest of the winter break. Dodging calls from Kiba with excuses of feeling ill or being busy with lesson plans. The way her eyes had consumed him at New Years had felt like having his heart squeezed while it still beat in his chest and he couldn't handle having it happen again.

"Good morning." His voice was flat and uninterested and to his surprise he managed to rip his eyes away from her terrified expression, leaning against the school gate and turning back to the letter again just for something to do.

He listened though, to the _crunch crunch crunch_  of her boots on the hard crystals of snow that led towards him, and caught sight of her feet above the page of the letter.

"Is that from Naruto?"

Realizing his mistake Sasuke looked up, folding the letter slowly. He couldn't hand this to her. Couldn't have her read it and watch as curiosity began to show. So far there had been no questions about his leaving home although her obvious irritation concerning his treatment of her husband didn't even have to be said. It was there in her eyes when she spoke about him, and as he studied her he was glad to see the uncertainty which lingered upon his hello was dimmed, her focus now on the page he was quickly trying to get back into his bag.

"Yes."

Slowly she turned her head to the side as though trying to figure him out from a different angle. He had to keep himself from thinking about putting his fingers along the line of her exposed jaw, tracing the curve to feel the smoothness of the warm skin and her blood pulsing through the vein in her jugular.

"Are they difficult...for you to read?"

This was not how he had wanted to start off the new term. Where the hell was Tsunade with the keys? She was usually the first one here. His plan of being calm and collected and distant for as long as he could with this woman was being ruined.

"Sometimes."

_Every fucking time, like stitches ripped, or a slap in the face when you're shocked._

_They're_ difficult _._

To his surprise she did not say anything else but he could feel her eyes lingering on him, and when he looked up he blinked to see her startle as though caught doing something she wasn't supposed to be, her face lighting up rosy as she looked away.

"...about...New Years..." she began, her hand tightening at her chest. For a moment he thought maybe she had his lungs in that fist from the way they felt at her words, crippled and unable to take in needed air.

He didn't reply, but leaning against the school gate was making him feel a little like being in front of a firing squad, pressed against the bars of a prison where his blood would splatter and his life would end with her words. He could not, absolutely could _not_ have this conversation. Knowing he was going to scoff and deny anything she said he struggled, aiming to stay silent if at all possible.

"I... I wanted to thank you, for being so good with the kids- and for the kimonos." Hands trembling Hinata straightened her jacket gently, keeping her eyes on the snowy ground, her foot print next to his was clean and sharp against the black of the pavement, the difference in size almost funny.

"I really loved my kimono. I always wanted one, but..." she laughed a little nervously. "...I did have to look up a video on how to wear one properly."

Air finally seeped into his lungs, slow and steady and he glanced up to see her looking to the right towards the brightness of the rising sun, unaware that the rays of light lit her face and made her seem almost unreal. Her eyes glowed, a deep persistent light and with a gust of cool wind sighing through her hair she smiled, turning back to him.

He bit his lip hard to wake himself and nodded. "I figured you wouldn't have any... and I just... I saw them..." Speaking was proving difficult. Employing one of her usual tactics he took a deep breath. "I saw Sora's and Haku's hanging up at a stand during a Christmas market. I am glad that you all liked them."

Remembering the way the kimono hugged along her hips, and up to her torso accenting the swan like curve of her neck he turned to look down the street, blinking rapidly to clear his mind's eye.

"Where is Tsunade-san?" He wrestled with the desperation in his voice, keeping it to a minimum.

"...I think I see her." Hinata smiled mildly, waving at a vehicle coming down the street at an incredibly reckless pace.

"Tch." Sasuke shook his head. "And she thinks I'm immature."

"Sorry, sorry!" Tsunade's voice seemed to break the icy spell of tension in the air as she jumped out of the vehicle. She straightened her pencil skirt with her fingers as she ran over, unlocking the gate quickly. "Getting back into the swing of things is so hard after a holiday! See you inside!" And she was gone, driving her car through at a speed Sasuke found very irritating.

"Remind me..." Hinata murmured softly as they began the walk to the school through the crunching ice. "...not to ever ask Tsunade-san for a ride."

To his surprise as much as hers he turned to her and laughed.

* * *

"She brought us bentos again?" Kiba picked up the item on his desk and inspected the outside like he was studying something at an anthropology museum, taking a look at every angle.

"Yeah." Sasuke mumbled, trying not to sound too happy about it.

"Ah." Kiba sighed back, putting the fabric wrapped box on his desk as he settled into his chair. "She's too damn cute sometimes."

Pressing his lips into a thin line Sasuke looked up at him for a brief second, catching Kiba smirking at him knowingly. "But you already know that."

"Don't."

"Good morning, Inuzuka-san!" Hinata's voice entered the busy lounge then and Kiba perked up, looking at her with a grin.

"You did not have to bring me lunch but I am still so glad you did, thank you."

Hinata shrugged, a tiny adorable rise and fall of her shoulders, settling in the chair next to him with an armful of materials. "I'm happy to. Thank you for taking us to the New Years Festival. We would have just stayed at home. The kids loved it."

"How's Haku doing with his boat books?" Kiba inquired, turning away from his desk to face her, leaning forward, elbows on knees. "He seemed excited about them at Christmas."

"He was asking me if there was a harbor to take him to, so he could see the flags they use to communicate." she looked at a loss. "But I actually have no idea what he's talking about."

"The signal flags. They're on that book you picked out for him, Uchiha." Kiba turned to his friend.

Sasuke had not looked up at their exchange and still typing on his computer he replied. "Naruto taught him, there's a harbor on the other side of town with a view point you can take him to, the flags are clear from there,"

Hinata seemed to freeze at the mention of the sacred name. Her eyes focused on Sasuke as though he had cursed in her presence. Kiba felt the change in the air and sat back a bit, looking back and forth.

"How...do you know Naruto taught him?" Hinata whispered, her eyes trained on his face in a moment of shamelessness. Feeling the pressure of her eyes Sasuke turned to look at her, startled by the intensity of her focus. Realizing his mistake he looked away, an uncomfortable and unusual move for an Uchiha. "...He told me about it, in a letter I read earlier in December." he murmured. "Haku loves it."

The silence stretched endlessly for a moment and before Hinata could come up with a reply Tsunade stepped out of her office, clapping her hands loudly to get everyone's attention as she began a run down of the days schedule.

Everyone turned, the teachers huddled near her office and the meeting began. Hinata stared at Sasuke as though nothing else was happening. Around them the waves of their peers flowed and crashed, their conversation buzzing as they asked about their holiday and focused on their meeting. Hinata's eyes were gray rocks in the sea, unmoved by the battering.

"I want... to see the letters." She whispered it, and in the ruckus of the others talking he could not hear her voice, feather soft in the chaos. Instead he watched her lips form the words and release them into the air. She had not realized the potential in Naruto's correspondence beyond a glimpse into his memory. Clearly the realization was crashing over her mind as Sasuke felt himself tightening like a coil about to spring.

He did not reply, fear kept him from saying yes, and the desire to please her kept him from saying no.

* * *

"I haven't let her look at all of them." Sasuke murmured. He was well aware that the last time he and Kiba had spent time in the library it had not gone particularly well. Although, he had been mildly hungover at the time and very upset. This time the hangover wasn't a factor as he had nearly cut drinking out completely over the last three months, but the upset was definitely in.

It was a new world when he could clearly see that he was uncomfortable and pained by something. Instead of helping he sat in one of the chairs while Inuzuka did the work of sorting the books they had to put back from last term into their respective shelves. Head in his hands and his elbows on his knees, eyes closed he was a picture of contrition.

"I thought you were giving them to her slowly." Kiba replied glancing at his friend with care, a frown of worry on his face. "I don't really get it, why can't she see them?"

The letter in his back pocket from the morning was burning a hole through his clothes just like the last time and he sighed.

"Naruto...was my best friend." He whispered softly. Out loud it sounded strange although he had known this for some time, probably always.

"He said things to me that I wouldn't.. that were private."

Kiba stared at him, lowering the pile of books onto the table slowly. "Like?"

Knowing this was where the conversation was bound to go Sasuke laced his fingers along the back of his neck, pulling at the muscles of his back to stretch out the stress.

"Sasuke?" Kiba was looking at him with growing worry. "Like what?"

In the five years they had known each other Kiba had not once asked, not once inquired about what brought him to where he was now. He had never questioned the fact he had no family, had never pondered at his lack of friends, at least out loud to him.

"Like why I left home." he muttered, rubbing his face, unwilling to see the curiosity and wariness cross Kiba's gaze. He had run from everything he knew to avoid that expression and now it was here, mocking him.

What was it Hinata had said, sitting in the snow with a note from her husband in her hands covered in tears?

_Things never work out like we plan. Never._

* * *

"You what?" Tsunade stared at Hinata as though she had just told her she was going to be bouncing around the school on a pogo stick instead of walking for the rest of the year.

Hinata cocked her head slightly, leaning into the Principals office. "I wanted to talk to you about Uchiha-san. I didn't get a chance to before the winter break."

"Oh no." Tsunade sighed, letting her shoulders droop with tiredness. "You're not quitting are you?"

Hinata started. "What? No..."

Puzzled by her response Tsunade motioned her in, moving to close the door. "Formal complaint then?"

Taking a seat in front of the principal's desk Hinata arranged her skirt around herself with her fingers, a little frown flitting over her face. "No, Tsunade-san."

Still more confused Tsunade sat down in front of her, studying her with growing interest. "No?"

"No, I was wondering about the issues with Haruno-san and Yamanaka-san. I understand that Uchiha-san was to have a meeting with you about a complaint before the break and I offered to speak with you in regards to it but then, Sora's arm broke..."

Tsunade blinked at her. "On his behalf?"

"Yes... I have noticed some behavior in the classroom that I thought might fill out your understanding of the situation some more." Hinata cocked her head slightly at her. "Would that be acceptable?"

"Of course." Tsunade sat down at her desk, looking at her with open interest. "I haven't really had another teacher be willing to discuss the issues with Uchiha-san. He rather keeps to himself. Besides Inuzuka I don't really have anyone else who has seen him interact with the students besides students themselves."

"Oh, I've noticed a lot of things." Hinata nodded. "I was actually thinking I needed to speak with you about it before the news of the complaint against him. I understand that's from Haruno-san?"

"No, actually. Haruno has never come to me, but it appears Yamanaka-san, Ino's mother was told by Ino that Sakura had a discussion with Uchiha-san before the break and that it was bordering on inappropriate. Sakura understood that he didn't want her to stop being interested but that he could do nothing about it because of his job. You can clearly see how this is not professional- regardless of the closeness in age between you younger teachers and the graduating class."

HInata felt heat rise to her face, and it took her a second to realize she wasn't embarrassed. Puzzled for a moment she put a hand to her chest, feeling the tempo of her heart rate increase with her growing displeasure.

"That's what she said?" she murmured, fists clenching and unclenching in her lap for a second.

"Well, yes. But I haven't actually had a chance to ask Uchiha-san what he has to say in his own defense. He sent me an email report on the incident the day it happened, and it seemed like he handled that fine but the story I got from Ino's mother is quite different." Tsunade paused, watching Hinata rub her face for a moment.

"Hyuuga-san are you okay?"

"Yes." Hinata nodded, sitting at the edge of her seat with her knees nearly touching the desk. "I think this discussion may take awhile. Do you have a few minutes?"

Tsunade nodded, standing up and walking over to the window to close the blinds. "Of course... please."

Trying to keep herself from getting too irritated Hinata began, well aware of the strangeness that was her defending Sasuke Uchiha to anyone.

* * *

Looking to the door for the third time in the last five minutes Sasuke shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs from his brain with the motion. She was late from lunch and he knew she had her lesson plan finished because he had seen her sitting next to the photocopier after the meeting in the morning, looking thoughtful with her eyes glazed as she waited.

Licking his lips idly he turned back to the chalkboard and scribbled out some of the vocabulary the class would be working on, feeling the magnetic pull of his gaze to the door again despite his best attempts to keep calm. Behind him the soft murmur of the students whispering to each other and scribbling in their books hummed with familiarity.

Outside the raging blue of the morning sky had begun to disappear with the wind, and he could see the rain clouds heading towards them. The coolness of winter was starting to fade and he knew soon the grass in the school entrance would begin to show through the piles of white snow, peeking out as though waking from a deep slumber.

Hinata would love that. She would be entranced by the cherry blossom trees that decorated the school in spring. Something about it would make her eyes light up and her face get as pink as the blossoms, brimming over with her delight.

A sound startled him from his reverie then. The door slid on it's track smoothly as she snuck into the class, pressing her back to the door after closing it. Glancing at her for a moment he paused, seeing the paleness of her cheeks and lips before frowning.

Her gray eyes glanced at him and then away, moving towards the back of the class where there was an empty desk. Silent as possible she deposited her things onto the surface before settling with her head down, her body signalling her lack of motivation for communication.

Puzzled, Sasuke turned back to the chalk board. Irritated that his heart was skipping around in his chest like a dizzy toddler learning to walk.

"Once the vocabulary lists are in your book please get together in groups of two or three and discuss sentences that would be appropriate to use with these words. Write them out and attempt to converse with them before handing them in to Hyuuga-sensei. There's fifteen minutes left in class. Don't waste them." He muttered and the students grumbled lightly before standing or turning around to face each other.

In the chaos of a free second Sasuke peered through the uniform clad teens at Hinata who's brows were pinched together with worry as she stood, heading towards him slowly.

She opened her mouth to speak as she approached but he beat her to it, leaning against his desk to keep himself away from the scent of lavender and the underlying sweetness of her skin.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh." Hinata seemed surprised by his question and as her eyes lingered on his face she noticed there was worry lining the creases of his eyes, turning down the set of his full lips. Something tugged at the corner of her mouth in a half smile. "Yes... I'm okay, just...a little worried."

Sasuke waited, studying her the same way she was regarding him. As though they were new things needing to be re-evaluated.

"Tsunade-san and I had a conversation..." she began and glanced back over her shoulder, eyes scanning the room until she located the pink and blonde hair of the two girls in question at the back of the class. "It went...differently than I had hoped."

Following her gaze Sasuke sat up, tensing.

"The request for tutoring in the evenings was approved." She continued a little less carefully. "And since you have seniority..."

Eyes widening slightly he stared at her. No, Tsunade surely wouldn't put him in a situation where he would have to be alone after school with those two. Surely. She was crazy but she wasn't stupid.

"Don't worry." Hinata gasped, seeing the look of panic cross his face. Before she knew what she was doing her hand was on his arm, caught between the rolled up folds of his dress shirt and the smooth skin of his bicep. A feeling like an electric shock made her jump back instantly, her face coloring sharply.

"I took the lessons." She gasped, by way of changing the topic from the surprise on his face at her touch. "I took them without... thinking about it... but they're in the afternoon and Haku and Sora-"

"What?" He was trying to follow what was happening, but her absent fingers from his skin was distracting him. "You did what?"

"I took on the lessons in the afternoon, but... Sora and Haku need to be picked up so I don't know how I'm going to-"

"Why would you-?" and he stopped seeing her glance back again, watching with mild dislike the girls at the back adjusting their hair and uniforms with carefully manicured hands.

"Oh no." He sighed, putting a hand to his face. "Hinata-" he stopped, choked on the name and watched as she turned to look at him. Eyes so wide in her face he could see the reflection of the sky through the window behind him in her iris. There they were, those consuming eyes he had been trying to avoid all January.

"I'm sorry. Hyuuga-san." He corrected. Heat rushed to his face in a way he had never quite had before. This was ridiculous. He couldn't be doing this. She was Naruto's wife, for heaven's sake he couldn't even...

Pink lips parted in something akin to awe and Hinata breathed out softly. "I..." she paused. "I haven't been called Hinata in..." she frowned, feeling her eyes water for a moment. Blinking rapidly she lowered her head, a hand to her face as she tried to calm her breath. How long had it been? Five months? Six?

Sasuke glanced up, catching Haruno's eyes trained on them he grabbed Hinata's wrist and pulled her gently to the hall. Closing the door on the chaos of the class would afford him only had a few minutes to apologize before everyone was dismissed for the day.

Her tiny wrist fit in his grip without a fuss and he noticed there was no hissing discontent like the last time he had dragged her somewhere without asking. As he closed the door he turned to her, in time to catch her tears spilling through her fingers, as though she were trying to catch the liquid before it escaped her and failing.

"Hyuuga-san, let me apologize I-"

"No- please. I'm so sorry..." She shook her head, shoulders trembling. "I...I haven't had anyone call me by my name...in...nearly half a year... I just..." she gasped, rubbing at her cheeks without much success. "I'm always...Hyuuga-san...or Oka-san... I'm never.. I haven't... I didn't realize..."

Hesitating for a second Sasuke put a hand on her arm, startled when she suddenly buried her face into his chest, body trembling.

There was that scent, lavender and sweetness, enveloping him at the feel of her hands tight against her face, pressed to his collar bone. She would feel the drum beat of his heart through his clothes he was sure, and anxiously he placed his hands around her trembling shoulders, fighting with the desire to press her to him.

"C..can we be friends please?" She was whimpering into his shirt and the words sounded thick with her tears but he heard it, felt it as she breathed against the vein of his neck. Aware of the miniature distance between her lips and his skin he trembled. "I don't want to be just Oka-san... I don't want to be just Hyuuga-san..."

The sound of the classes being dismissed made her jump, but Sasuke held on for a second longer, allowing himself the bittersweet luxury of nodding against the smoothness of her cheek.

"We're friends, Hinata."

A little sob escaped her in reply. "T-thank you, Uchi-...Sasuke-kun."

Suddenly understanding the shock of being called by his first name Sasuke's grip on her tightened for a second before he pulled away, studying her face as she tried desperately to clean herself up with her fingers.

Abruptly the door to the class opened and together the two teachers turned to look at Sakura standing at the threshold, her eyes trained on Hinata's tear stained face and Sasuke's hand on her elbow. Blinking rapidly her gaze flitting to Sasuke's for a split second she turned and ran down the hall.

"H-Haruno-san!" Hinata began to call but Sasuke shook his head.

"No... let her be."

Students were starting to exit their classes, school bags in hand, glancing at Hinata's pink tear stained face curiously. "You should go get cleaned up, H...Hinata." he stumbled for a moment, watching with fascination as a grin spread slowly through the tears on her face.

"...Yes, okay.." she nodded. "I'll be back to get my things in a minute..." and she turned, heading towards the bathrooms quickly, making her hair flow behind her in a cloak of silk with her hurried steps. Swallowing hard Sasuke watched, biting his lip as Kiba stepped out of a class just as HInata passed, glancing back at him with a questioning look . Sasuke shook his head, trying with all his might to keep a smile from touching his lips and failing.

* * *

"You did what?"

"That was my reaction." Sasuke commented as Kiba pushed away from the door frame he had been using to lean against, blinking at Hinata with incredulous eyes. "You can't do evening classes- what about Haku and Sora?"

"Um... I don't know." Hinata sighed, twisting her hands in her lap while sitting in one of the student's desks. Lit only be the setting sun trying desperately to push through the incoming clouds her face was mostly hidden by shadow but her cheeks were still a bit pink and her mouth soft and delicate looking from all the biting she had been doing to it as she tried to problem solve. "Would I not be able to maybe do the lessons in the mornings? Or at lunch?"

"Doubt it." Inuzuka shook his head. "There's so much stuff the kids do in the mornings already- I mean maybe but..."

"Probably not." Sasuke shook his head while he packed up his things at his desk.

"I already told Tsunade-san I could do it." Hinata sighed, tapping her fingers together as she thought. "I guess I need to find a babysitter..."

Kiba blinked. "Why did you volunteer though, Hyuuga-san? I mean, if you don't mind me asking."

Hinata's eyes flickered to Sasuke and back to Kiba quickly. "Ah... I spoke to Tsunade-san about... some of the students. That report that Haruno-san's parents filed against Sasuke-kun..."

Kiba blinked at her use of Sasuke's first name, startled, but unwilling to comment. "...I convinced her they were being very inappropriate but then she felt she had to comply with the request for tutoring or it would look bad to the parents, like... like we couldn't handle the kids behaviour professionally, but Sasuke has seniority so he would automatically get the extra hours, except..."

"Except being alone with students is a bad idea for that face." Kiba smirked, glancing at his friend who just glared at him. "Beauty is a curse I guess." he teased.

Hinata smiled slightly. "I just... thought it would be easier if I took them, but I didn't think it through."

"How about we watch the kids?" Kiba volunteered suddenly, making Hinata stare at him, mouth open slightly.

"Uh..."

"When is it at?"

"Twice a week... from four to five- but that's right at dinner time, and I..." she jumped when Sasuke walked over and picked up her books, starting towards the door.

"We'll just do it." He called without looking back as he stepped into the hall, making both Kiba and Hinata jump up to follow with matching expressions of surprise.

"Are... are you sure? That's a lot to impose on-" Hinata began, and paused when he glanced back at her, black eyes trained on her face for a second.

"That's his 'shut up' look, except he doesn't say that kind of thing to cute girls. Just me, apparently." Kiba supplied, sticking his tongue out at Sasuke for a second before moving towards the stairs past him. Cheeks blazing slightly Hinata followed.

"Well... okay then..."

"Yep." Kiba called from the staircase.

"Yes." Sasuke agreed and Hinata followed, biting her lip some more and this time not from worrying, but from trying not to smile too big as she went after them.

"It's going to be raining buckets out there any minute now." Kiba called from the bottom of the stairs, looking towards the entrance of the school where the clouds could be seen gathering in the distance, rolling angrily along by the push of an irritable wind.

Sasuke glanced at Hinata suddenly, watching her stare at the heaven's with trepidation. "I should go. I don't want to be caught in the rain with the kids." she whispered, pulling her jacket over her shoulders with trembling hands.

Nodding, Kiba turned back to them. "Do you have an umbrella?"

"I...yes... I'll get home before the rain starts though." she whispered, quickly throwing her bag over her shoulder and extending her arms to Sasuke to pass her books. For a second he hesitated, studying the draining color from her face.

"...are you okay? You look...faint." he began, startled when she reached out and took the books from him despite his reluctance.

"Oh no, I'm fine." A smile that didn't reach her eyes graced her features before she turned and headed down the hall.

"Bye, Kiba-kun, Sasuke-kun!"

Kiba jumped at his name, startled. "Oh! Bye! Hinata-chan!"

As the door closed he turned to Sasuke, grinning. "And here I thought you were her favorite for a minute."

Sasuke didn't return his smile, frowning slightly as she disappeared from view.

What was it that Naruto had said?

_...my family loves you. They don't even know you, Hinata may not trust you but your welfare would be her top priority if you showed up, she's just like that..._

Sasuke turned, heading to the teachers lounge with Kiba chattering away beside him.

_How did you know her so well, Naruto? How did you do it?_

_How can I do the same?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kind of am struggling to find something that equates "dobe" and "teme" as Naruto and Sasuke use to talk to each other. Until I figure out an english equivalent that I feel fits I will continue to use the japanese. The idea is eventually to change it, but until then I am gonna use the crutch I've got- sorry! 
> 
> Much love,  
> Inky


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